Bucatini all'arrabbiata

5 from 39 votes

A delicious spicy classic vegetarian/vegan pasta dish from Rome that's very quick and easy to make. All you need is garlic, chilli peppers, tomatoes, parsley and pasta. Ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Rome & Lazio

Keyword: arrabbiata, bucatini, peperoncino, spicy pasta

Servings:

Calories: 581kcal

Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

400 g bucatini (14oz) or penne rigate
2 garlic cloves peeled
3-4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
100 g pecorino Romano (optional) (3.5oz) or vegetarian/vegan parmesan grated
2 fresh chilli peppers peperoncino. I red, 1 green or 2 red
1 handful fresh parsley chopped
400 g ripe tomatoes (14oz) peeled or 12 cherry tomatoes and 350 g passata rustica
salt for pasta and to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Once it starts to boil add salt and bring to the boil again.
If you are using fresh tomatoes, rinse them in cold water. Then remove the stalks and cut an X into the top of each tomato. This makes peeling them easier. Put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. After a couple of minutes, immerse them in cold water and peel them. Cut them in half and remove the pips. If using cherry tomatoes just wash and halve them
Peel the garlic. Take the chilli peppers, cut them in half and remove the seeds and then cut them into small strips. Be careful not to touch your eyes or mouth while you do this and wash your hands well afterwards. If you don’t have fresh chilli you can used 2-3 teaspoons of peperoncino flakes.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan or skillet.
Add the garlic cloves (whole or finely chopped as you prefer) and the chilli pepper to the pan and cook for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon to prevent them from burning.
Then add the peeled tomatoes cut into cubes or the cherry tomatoes and cook for a few seconds at a high heat.
Lower the heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
If you are using cherry tomatoes and passata, add the passata now.
Stir well and then simmer the sauce uncovered for 15 minutes.
Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling salted water according to the instructions on the packet.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce. Mix everything together well.
If your garlic cloves are whole ( which is what I prefer to do) remove them.
Serve the pasta with a sprinkling of fresh parsley and grated pecorino Romano (optional).

Notes

I used bucatini but penne is the most typical pasta used in this dish. Strict vegetarians will need to replace the pecorino Romano with a vegetarian cheese, as its made with animal rennet, or leave the cheese out. Alterntively use a vegetarian or vegan parmesan.

Nutrition