Pasta Arrabbiata

Pasta all’arrabbiata is one of the most typical Italian offerings, notably from Rome. It is a burst of flavor with a few simple ingredients: tomato sauce, garlic, and chilies. If you like very strong flavors, take note of the ingredients because it will soon become your favorite dish. 

Despite the peculiarity, the origin of its name is not clear. Arrabbiata means angry in Italian, so who got angry? Why? I don’t think anybody got angry, but the name might refer to the tendency of turning blue in the face after eating this very hot, spicy sauce.   

This sauce comes from the most authentic peasant tradition: from poor people who managed to get by on the well-known art of making do. In fact, these old rural recipes are the foundation of modern cuisine. They have become more and more popular in the most popular restaurants all around the world. Along with carbonara, gricia, and amatriciana, arrabbiata is that hearty sauce which you can’t do without if you want to bring flavors of Lazio and Rome into your kitchen.

The best pasta for a perfect arrabbiata?

Although the pasta shape is not so important here, ridged penne is preferable; smooth penne doesn’t work as well because the sauce can’t cling to it. Ready in a few minutes, arrabbiata goes with every ridged kind of pasta and is the best choice to welcome unexpected guests or for a fast dinner when you are short in time. So choose the pasta shape you like. 

Is it a variation of aglio olio e peperoncino? 

Yes, it may be considered something like a red-sauce variation of spaghetti aglio, olio e peperoncino, pasta with garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Most of the towns in Lazio have claimed ownership of this dish as it has become an outstanding culinary symbol of Italy. With or without cheese? This is another debate. According to some experts, red pepper flakes and parsley strictly forbid using cheese, while others support a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese. 

Tips and Tricks for your pasta all’ arrabbiata

• Chili pepper is essential in this recipe; choose fresh hot chili peppers and measure the quantity according to your own taste. If you don’t have fresh at home, you can substitute red pepper flakes.
• Brown the garlic very gently over low heat: the oil mustn’t go over 176°F (80°C). If you don’t have a kitchen digital thermometer; use it to make sure the oil reaches the right temperature, for example, when bubbles form around the garlic cloves; 
• Please don’t burn the garlic because its bitter taste would spoil the sauce. Remove it before adding the tomatoes (that’s why cooking over low heat is very important). You may also remove the chili pepper if you don’t want your sauce to get too hot and spicy. 
• Heat the garlic and cool it down; it will release its wonderful fragrance and be easier to digest. The sauce will be sweeter and richer in taste. 
• Don’t cook the parsley as it will become unpleasantly bitter. 
• Add the tomatoes when the sautéed vegetables have cooled down completely: this is an essential step. The unforgettable taste is worth the longer preparation time. 

How can you peel garlic?

I am not really fond of garlic, but this is the way I usually handle it: 

• Remove as many cloves as you need from the bulb;
• On a cutting board, place the cloves under the blade of a large chef’s knife; 
• Press down with the palm of your hand until you hear a crack; do not flatten it completely; 
• Remove the knife and peel away the skin with your fingers; 

How can you cut chili pepper without making mistakes?

As the main ingredient, chili pepper gives the recipe a real burst of flavor, but it may also spoil if it is not properly prepared. The sauce may get much hotter than you like, so add a little at first. 

Follow this method: 

• Roll the pepper between your hands to remove the seeds; 
• Cut the tip of the pepper and gently tap it with the cut tip facing downwards. The seeds will just fall out; 

• Cut the pepper into two halves and trim the inner whitish membrane away with a small sharp knife; the pepper gets milder if removed as this is the hottest part of the fruit; 
• Finely dice or slice it according to your taste. 

Keep in mind that some peppers are spicier than others, and their juice is spicy, too, so don’t touch your eyes. One trick is to use surgical rubber gloves that you can throw away after. Whatever you do, wash your hands with plenty of soap and don’t touch your eyes.