Baked Penne Arrabbiata (Printable)

Penne tossed in spicy arrabbiata sauce, layered with cheeses, baked to golden bubbly perfection.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
04 - 1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
05 - 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
06 - 1 tsp sugar
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - ½ tsp salt
09 - ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1 small bunch fresh basil, chopped (reserve some for garnish)

→ Cheese

11 - ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a large baking dish.
02 - Boil penne in salted water until just al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant without browning.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, sugar, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
05 - Remove sauce from heat and fold in chopped basil.
06 - Toss drained penne with the tomato sauce until evenly coated.
07 - Spread half of the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Repeat with remaining pasta and cheeses.
08 - Bake for 18-20 minutes until cheese is melted, golden, and sauce is bubbling.
09 - Allow to rest 5 minutes. Garnish with reserved basil and serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It transforms a simple arrabbiata into a warming baked dish that feels fancier than it actually is.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, making it ideal for weeknight dinners or feeding a crowd without stress.
  • The crispy cheese top and bubbling sauce underneath create that irresistible comfort-food texture we all crave.
02 -
  • The pasta must be slightly underdone when it goes into the dish—this is non-negotiable because the baking time will cook it further, and there's nothing worse than overcooked, mushy pasta.
  • Don't skip the resting period; those 5 minutes let the cheese set slightly and make serving much cleaner and easier.
  • The sauce should be simmering gently, not boiling hard, so the tomatoes don't break down into something too watery or acidic.
03 -
  • Keep the red pepper flakes measured separately before adding them to the oil—once they're in hot oil, they bloom so quickly that it's hard to adjust the heat level if you decide you want more or less.
  • If your sauce seems too thin after simmering, let it go another minute or two; the difference between thin and silky is just a little patience and evaporation.
  • Room-temperature pasta goes into the sauce better than cold pasta because the sauce will coat it more evenly and cling to it better during baking.
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