The 30-Minute Jamie Oliver Recipe I’ve Been Making for Nearly a Decade (And Will Never Get Tired Of)

For me, the ideal weeknight dinner serves up all kinds of flavor in every forkful. Better still? If it's fast to make. Come Saturday, there's nothing I enjoy more than luxuriating over an hours-long recipe, but from Monday to Friday, I like to be in and out of the kitchen in about 20 minutes.

I've made a lot of recipes over the years, but the tried-and-true favorite that I whip up on the regular comes courtesy of Jamie Oliver. His Double Whammy Arrabbiata checks every box on my list for the perfect weeknight meal. I understand why Jamie says it's one of his desert-island dishes!

Why I Love Jamie Oliver's Double Whammy Arrabbiata

There are a million things to love about this recipe, chief among them being the fact that it takes about 15 minutes to come together. (His website says 30 minutes, but I've gotten pretty efficient.) It's made with ingredients I always have on hand, like canned tomatoes, chiles, lemon, garlic, and vodka, plus the umami-lovers' secret weapon: tinned anchovies.

This spaghetti arrabbiata is a year-round recipe in my household. In the depths of winter, the heat from the chiles keeps us warm, while during summer, the lemon-infused tomato sauce offers a brightness that keeps this pasta dish fresh and light. Over the years, I've put my own touches on the recipe, and after nearly a decade, I've yet to grow tired of it.

Tips for Making Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti Arrabbiata

• Oliver uses fresh chiles for his arrabbiata, but they can be hard to find. I simplify things with a trusted pantry staple I always have on hand: red chili flakes. 1/2 teaspoon yields a milder heat, while one to two teaspoons is standard across many arrabbiata recipes. You can go as hot as you dare—I like a scant tablespoon.
• Is there such a thing as too much garlic? Not in my kitchen. I toss in a few extra cloves of minced garlic.
• In what I can only describe as a temporary fit of madness brought on by too-good-to-turn-down deals, the last time I bought vodka, I went for the higher proof option. I discovered that it's a shade too strong for cocktails, but it's absolutely brilliant for cooking. The higher alcohol proof makes the vodka's flavor-extracting powers that much more potent, leaving you with an intensely flavorful sauce.
• Oliver's original recipe calls for four anchovy fillets. I use three. It delivers the same hit of umami without being overtly fish-forward. I stash leftover anchovies in the freezer for convenience so I don't need to worry about using them up immediately.
• Once the anchovies are in, I season with extra salt, sprinkle in a whisper of sugar, and add a small knob of butter for richness.
• The original recipe calls for spaghetti, but I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Pasta shapes like penne, shells, and fusilli can capture the sauce for extra flavorful bites.

How I Make Jamie Oliver's Arrabbiata My Own

• I'm a fiend for salt, so I often stir in chopped olives or a spoonful of capers to the sauce.
• Basil never goes amiss in Italian recipes. Same for parsley, rosemary, or a touch of thyme.
• Sometimes I mix in a protein like chicken, shrimp, pancetta, or spicy chorizo for a heartier meal.
• On the meat-free side, chopped vegetables are a great addition to an arrabbiata sauce, adding texture and flavor.
• I serve my arrabbiata with a generous mound of Parmesan cheese after plating it, but grating the cheese directly into the sauce will enhance the flavor, too.