Rome, Lazio
The Roman pasta of anger: penne rigate in a sauce of olive oil, garlic, dried whole chilli (not chilli flakes — the difference is significant), and good canned tomato. No onion, no pancetta, no cream, no meat — the absolute minimum. Arrabbiata means 'angry' — the chilli should make the sauce genuinely hot, not mildly spiced. The sauce is made and eaten within 20 minutes. The precision lies in getting the tomato-garlic-chilli balance right so the heat is present but the tomato's sweetness holds.
Direct, hot, angry — tomato and chilli with nothing to hide behind and nothing to apologise for; the Roman sauce that proves minimalism is a skill, not a compromise
{"Whole dried peperoncino rosso seco (not chilli flakes) — the whole chilli releases heat more slowly and evenly","Garlic sliced (not crushed) — it caramelises rather than turning sharp","San Marzano tomatoes, hand-crushed — quality canned tomatoes make the difference in a 5-ingredient sauce","Cook the sauce only 15 minutes — this is a fast sauce; longer cooking dulls the chilli brightness","Penne rigate: the ridges and tubular interior catch the thin sauce; smooth penne is incorrect"}
{"Flat-leaf parsley, not basil — the freshness of parsley is correct here; basil is Neapolitan","A few canned whole cherry tomatoes added at the end (not blended) add textural contrast","The sauce should coat, not pool — reduce the tomato enough before adding the pasta"}
{"Adding onion — the onion sweetness softens the arrabbiata's character","Chilli flakes instead of whole dried chilli — the heat is sharper and less controlled","Under-salting the pasta water — all-pasta dishes live or die on correct seasoning at every step"}
La Cucina Romana — Livio Jannattoni