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Penne All'Arrabbiata

This fast and simple dish features penne, meaning "quills," a reference to the tapered ends of the pasta shape that resemble a quill pen and hold sauce like the pen holds ink. We balance hot Calabrian chiles with honey in the all'arrabiata sauce — they also amplify the sweetness of the tomatoes.  

Frequently Asked Questions Arrabiata means "angry" in Italian and refers to the fiery kick from crushed red pepper that is traditionally used to make this Roman tomato sauce. The sauce comes together with just a small handful of simple ingredients including garlic, olive oil, and tomatoes. This recipe relies on the fruity heat from jarred Calabrian chiles rather than crushed red pepper, but the spiciness is just as satisfying.

Calabrian chiles are cultivated in Calabria in southern Italy. The small, round, and dark red chilies have smoky, fruity flavors and heat levels ranging from 25,000 to 40,000 Scoville units, putting them between jalapeños and bird's eye chilies. Calabrian chiles are available dried, jarred in oil, and in paste form. In small quantities, they add piquancy to everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to chicken soup.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Make sure to allow the garlic to brown so that it infuses the oil and ultimately flavors the entire sauce. Be sure to set aside some of the pasta cooking water and add it to help thin out sauce so that it will better coat your noodles. This is a pretty quick tomato sauce, so the quality of the tomatoes truly does matter.  Make sure to choose quality canned tomatoes. Suggested pairing A ruby-hued red wine with peppery notes like Poderi Oddero Barbera d'Alba will beautifully complement this spicy pasta dish.

Chicken Penne Arabbiata Recipe

1.

Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic till golden brown.

2.

Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil

3.

Now add salt, sugar, chilli powder, oregano and basil and simmer for a couple of minutes, then take it off the heat.

4.

Mix the chicken, olives and penne.

5.

Top it with the cheese (or mix in if so desired), and serve hot.

Chicken Arrabiata

Mix the garlic and parsley together in a small bowl. Add the rest of the oil to the pan with the garlic and parsley mixture and chilli flakes. Turn the heat down and sizzle together for about 30 seconds until really fragrant, but do not let the garlic brown. Quickly mix in the tomatoes and sugar. Quarter fill each can with water to rinse out the last of the tomato sauce and tip this all into the pan too.

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