My delicious Penne Arrabbiata features melted mozzarella and spicy chorizo for a delicious twist on the classic. Check out my tips for roasting the peppers for a nice smoky finish!
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Don’t you just love a good pasta dish?
Good’ received a stamp It certainly has its uses as one of those easy dishes that everyone loves (in fact, sponge balls are still one of my favorites that I make at least every two weeks), but sometimes it’s nice to just shake things up a bit.
Now this dish has everything when you need to put something on the table quickly, but you want something a little different and special:
- Penne pasta smothered in a rich and spicy arrabiata sauce
- Gooey pieces of melted mozzarella
- Chunks of spicy chorizo
- Pepper slices, roasted/grilled until smoky and charred
It’s also as quick to make as a sponge ball, making it a great choice for a midweek meal.
📋 What do we need?
📺 Watch how it is prepared
Full recipe with detailed steps on the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Let’s start by roasting red and yellow pepper until charred. I do this over a gas burner (very carefully), under the grill (broiler), or on the BBQ when the weather is a little warmer. While the peppers were roasting, I put the pasta to cook.
- Then fry a little onion in a little oil until soft. Add chorizo and cook for a few minutes, then stir in garlic and tomato paste (paste). Then add canned tomatoes, dried thyme, chili flakes and a little sugar. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Next, we remove the skins from the roasted peppers and slice the peppers. Add them to the sauce along with the cooked and drained pasta and mix everything together.
- Add in pieces of torn mozzarella, mix again, then top with some grated Parmesan, some chopped spring onions (green onions) and a pinch of chili flakes before serving.
👩🍳Professional tip You can make this arrabiata as spicy as you like. I only add a pinch of chili flakes when the kids eat it. Then I’ll serve it with a small dollop of chopped fresh chili for Chris and I to sprinkle on top.
🍽️ with what to serve
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Penne arrabiata with mozzarella and chorizo
Penne arrabiata with mozzarella and chorizo - a delicious twist to the classic!
Instructions
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Place the two whole peppers on a grill tray and place under the grill (broiler). Alternatively, carefully place the two whole peppers over the flame of a gas stove (using heat-proof tongs).
1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper
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Grill until blackened and charred all over. Turn during grilling to ensure all sides are done. They should be blackened in about 10-12 minutes.
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After blackening, wrap the peppers in foil and let them cool a little in the foil (this will make it easier to remove the skin).
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While the peppers are roasting, you can cook the pasta and prepare the arrabiata sauce.
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Heat a large pan of water for the pasta and cook the penne according to the package instructions.
400 grams of dried penne pasta
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In a large pan (frying pan), heat the oil and add the onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes until the onion starts to soften.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion
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Add in the chorizo and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the chorizo releases its oils and begins to darken.
200g (7oz) chorizo
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Now stir in the garlic and tomato paste (paste), cook for a minute, then stir in the canned tomatoes, thyme, dried chili flakes and sugar. Bring it to a gentle boil and let it cook for 10 minutes.
2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 400 grams (14 ounces) canned chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 heaping teaspoon dried chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of sugar
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By now, the foil-wrapped peppers should have cooled slightly. Place them on a cutting board, then remove and discard the charred skin. Slice the peppers (discard the seeds) and throw the chopped peppers into the arrabiata sauce.
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Drain the pasta, after cooking it, and add the drained pasta to the arrabiata sauce. Mix together (I find it easier to use a spoon and a set of tongs for this) until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.
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Stir in the mozzarella pieces, heat for another minute and then turn off the heat.
250 g (8 ¾ oz) mozzarella, coarsely torn
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Sprinkle a little Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, chili flakes and a little chopped onion (green onion) on the arrabiata. Serve straight from the pan.
3 tablespoons of finely grated parmesan cheese, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 spring onions, 1 pinch of chili flakes
✎ Notes
Yes! Replace the pasta with gluten-free pasta and ensure that your chorizo and tomato paste are also gluten-free. It works well as a gluten free dish.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes – skip the chorizo altogether (if so, add a teaspoon of smoked paprika with the spices), or replace with chorizo/mushrooms/vegetarian smoked hummus (fried chickpeas with smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper). You will also need to replace the parmesan (which is made with rennet) with Italian-style hard cheese, and check that you are using vegetarian mozzarella.
Can I be early?
I prefer to eat it right away as I think it tastes better when it’s made fresh, rather than after being reheated. However, you tin Make it in advance if you like, and it will still be delicious.
After you have cooked the arrabiata, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. It is better to heat in the oven (covered with foil) – because this will help the heat to spread better, without the pasta breaking – as would happen if it were mixed in a pan. Heat in the oven at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until it is hot all the way through.
Please note: the dish will be a little less sour if you prepare it in advance, since the pasta will absorb more of the liquid. You can add a few extra tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it is still sour.
Can I freeze it?
As above, it tastes better when made fresh, but you can freeze and reheat it.
After you have cooked the arrabiata, cool, cover and freeze. Then thaw in the refrigerator. According to the heating instructions above – heat in the oven (covered in foil) at 190C/375F for about 20-25 minutes until it is hot all the way through. Again, add a few more tablespoons of stock or hot water when reheating the pasta to ensure it’s still sour.
Leftovers?
I like this cold the next day for lunch with some crisp lettuce and thinly sliced red onion.
Nutritional information is per serving, based on this recipe serving 4 people. If you use the recipe for a serving of 6, the calorie count is about 523 calories per serving.
diet
Calories: 787KKLCarbohydrates: 93Gprotein: 40GFat: 28GSaturated fat: 12GPolyunsaturated fat: 1GUnsaturated fat: 6GCholesterol: 75mgsodium: 590mgpotassium: 773mgfiber: 7GSugar: 11Gvitamin: 1806IUVitamin C: 106mgcalcium: 601mgiron: 5mg
This post was first published in June 2015. Updated in January 2019 with new photos, step-by-step photos, video recipes and tips, then again in June 2023 with a new video and some housekeeping.
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equipment:
To make this penne arrabiata recipe you will need:
