Spicy Arrabiata Penne

Name: Spicy Arrabiata Penne
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 19 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 pound penne rigate; 1/4 cup olive oil; 3 cloves garlic; 1 tin chopped tomatoes; 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes; 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning; 6 leaves basil; sprinkling Parmigiano-Reggiano

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Vegetarian recipe with Italian flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 36 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Step-by-step instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta. Cook according to the package instructions, about 9 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chile flakes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped basil.
Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano flakes and more basil and serve warm.

Why this works on a weeknight

Spicy Arrabiata Penne genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our One-Pan Pasta collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Spicy Arrabiata Penne actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🍝 One-Pan Pasta Vegetarian Italian ⚡ 30-Min Dinner Pasta Curry