Ina Garten penne arrabiata coats pasta in a spicy San Marzano sauce with 24 garlic cloves, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. And this Barefoot Contessa recipe serves 4 to 5 at around 760 calories in about an hour, since the sauce mostly simmers on its own.
Instead of mincing garlic into the oil, Ina cooks 24 whole cloves low and slow until they turn golden and soft. She then pulses them with the tomatoes in a food processor, which gives the sauce a deep garlic flavor without any harsh bite.
Pay close attention to the garlic in the oil, since that separates a rich golden sauce from one that tastes bitter and burnt. And those 10 to 12 minutes build the whole flavor base, so rushing them ruins everything that comes after.
Source: Barefoot Contessa: Modern Comfort Food (TV show), episode “Cook Like a Pro: Tomatoes”, verified from foodnetwork.com
Ina Garten Penne Arrabiata
Course: DinnerCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy5
servings30
minutes35
minutes760
kcal1
hour5
minutesWhole garlic cloves cook low in olive oil, then get pulsed into San Marzano tomatoes with fennel, red pepper flakes, and red wine. And the penne finishes right in the sauce with a splash of pasta water, so every piece soaks up the heat.
Ingredients
- For the sauce:
2/3 cup good olive oil
1 cup whole peeled garlic cloves (24 cloves)
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
2 teaspoons whole fennel seeds, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup dry red wine, such as Chianti
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for serving
- For the pasta:
1 pound dry penne rigate, such as DeCecco
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Directions
- Warm the oil: Warm the olive oil in a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, then add the garlic cloves.
- Cook the garlic: Let the garlic cook for 10 to 12 minutes, tossing occasionally, until softened and lightly browned.
- Pulse the tomatoes: While the garlic cooks, drain the tomatoes and pulse them in a food processor until roughly chopped.
- Add the garlic: Once the garlic is golden, transfer it to the food processor with a slotted spoon and pulse again to chop it.
- Build the sauce: Then pour the tomato-garlic mixture into the pot with the oil, and add the fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and red wine.
- Season the sauce: Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, then bring the sauce to a boil.
- Simmer: After that, lower the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes, then stir in the basil and taste for seasoning.
- Boil the pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add 2 tablespoons salt and the penne.
- Finish in the sauce: Two minutes before the pasta hits al dente, lift it out with a strainer and add it to the sauce with 1/4 cup pasta water.
- Simmer together: Then let the pasta and sauce cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until the penne is fully al dente.
- Serve: After that, spoon the pasta into shallow bowls and sprinkle with extra basil and Parmesan, then serve hot.
FAQs
Can I use a different pasta shape instead of penne rigate?
Penne rigate has ridges that catch the chunky sauce, and those grooves hold onto the spicy tomato in a way smooth pasta cannot. And rigatoni or mezze maniche work as the closest swap, since both have ridges and a hollow center that traps sauce inside each piece.
Avoid long shapes like spaghetti or linguine, because the thick sauce clumps at the bottom instead of clinging to each strand. And if you use a smooth penne without ridges, toss it in the sauce a full minute longer so it absorbs more flavor.
Why does the recipe use whole garlic cloves instead of minced?
Cooking whole cloves low in oil for 10 to 12 minutes turns them sweet and buttery, because the slow heat caramelizes their natural sugars. And minced garlic burns in seconds at that temperature, which gives the sauce a sharp acrid taste that no amount of simmering fixes.
And pulsing the softened cloves in the food processor lets you control the texture, so you get small tender pieces instead of a paste. That garlic melts into the tomato sauce, but you still get little pockets of roasted flavor in every bite.
What should I serve alongside this penne arrabiata?
A simple arugula salad with lemon and shaved Parmesan balances the heat, because the peppery greens cut through the rich olive oil base. And crusty Italian bread on the side soaks up any sauce left in the bowl, which is too good to waste.
But skip adding protein to the plate, because the 24 cloves of garlic and penne already make this a filling main course. And a dry Italian red like Chianti pairs well, since the recipe uses it and the tannins stand up to the spice.
How do I store leftover penne arrabiata?
The sauce keeps for up to four days in the fridge, and it improves as the fennel and garlic flavors deepen overnight. But store the sauce and cooked pasta in separate containers, since the penne absorbs liquid and turns mushy sitting in the sauce.
And to reheat, warm the sauce in a pan, then add the pasta with a splash of water to loosen things up. The sauce also freezes well for up to three months, so making a double batch of just the sauce is worth the extra effort.
Can I adjust the heat level in this recipe?
The full teaspoon of red pepper flakes makes this properly spicy, and Ina notes on the show that the sauce should have real kick. But if you prefer less heat, start with half a teaspoon and taste after it simmers, since the spice mellows over time.
And adding the flakes at the start matters, because they need the full 30 minutes to release their oils evenly into the tomato base. But tossing them in at the end gives you sharp raw heat instead of the warm steady burn that makes a good arrabiata.
