Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
Before making this whole wheat pasta arrabbiata, you need to know that:
- this is a pasta dish that can be done in 30 minutes.
- most of the ingredients can be stocked up in your pantry so you can make it anytime you want.
- the sauce can be made a day before so the next day you only need to reheat it and mix it with the pasta!
- it’s great for people who like spicy food.
While growing up, pasta played almost no part in my life.
It was just… boring.
However, one cookbook from Antonio Carluccio started to change my perception of preparing pasta dishes, so I became acquainted with recipes that have found their way to my belly (and my heart).
Whole wheat pasta arrabbiata is just one such recipe.
I actually came across this sauce while working on a completely different recipe (pizza), and its simplicity surprised me at first. It soon became a dish for which I would always have the ingredients ready in my pantry. And the best part: it’s really affordable.
What is Arrabbiata Sauce
It is a sauce based on olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic spiced with hot peppers that originates from the Italian region of Lazio in central Italy. Even the very meaning of the word “arrabbiata” literally translated from Italian means “angry”.
If you’re one of those people who don’t like to eat food with a bit of hot taste to it, I suggest you give this recipe a go because it may surprise you!
How “angry” your pasta will be, depends solely on your preferences and the intensity of chili peppers you’ll use. Also, this can depend on the producer of the chilies itself: sometimes 1/2 a teaspoon of chili flakes can knock me on the floor, other times I’ll need the whole teaspoon to feel any spiciness at all.
Fresh parsley is a common addition to this sauce, so I also like to use it. Try to add some dried basil and oregano (although these two herbs are not part of the traditional recipe).
Also, in this recipe, I opt for whole wheat pasta because of its great flavor and high fiber content. Therefore, I suggest that, if you haven’t by now, you give the whole wheat pasta a chance. It might surprise you!
Now, let’s make our whole wheat pasta arrabbiata!
Are you looking for more lunch ideas?
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Whole Wheat Pasta Arrabbiata Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g whole wheat pasta (penne, rigatoni, torre di pisa…)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes (you can put more or less, depending how hot your peppers are)
- handful of flat leaf parsley (stems + leaves)
- 800 g chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon oregano (dried)
- ¾ teaspoon basil dried)
- sea salt (to taste)
- ground black pepper (to taste)
- 60 g hard cheese (pecorino romano, parmesan, grana padano…)
- brown sugar (optional, only if tomatoes need a bit more sweetness)
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the water for cooking the pasta, and let it boil. In the meantime, start preparing the sauce.
- In a wide, deep pan heat the olive oil. Add minced garlic, chili flakes, and diced parsley stems (save the leaves for later). Cook on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, black pepper, and salt. Stir everything and let the sauce cook over medium-high heat until thickens a bit.
- In the meantime, the water for cooking the pasta started to boil, so add salt and pasta to the pot and cook until it becomes al dente. Strain it, but save a few tablespoons of pasta water (you may need it to finish the sauce).
- When the sauce is done, remove the pan from the heat, add freshly chopped parsley leaves and cooked pasta, and stir everything together. If the sauce has been reduced a bit too much, add some of the reserved pasta water to it. Try it and season with some salt and pepper if necessary.
- Transfer the pasta to plates, and serve with some freshly grated hard cheese on top and a small drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided is an estimate based on ingredients data and should be used for informational purposes only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on factors such as portion size, preparation methods and ingredients used.
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