If you love a spicy red sauce, this arrabbiata sauce recipe is for you! A hot bowl of pasta with arrabbiata sauce, or sugo all’arrabbiata in Italian, will warm you up on a chilly day. Arrabbiata literally means angry in Italian. The Romans call any recipe “arrabbiatto” when it’s cooked with enough garlic and chili to make you thirsty. I love it!
Like its cousin marinara, homemade arrabbiata sauce is very easy to make. You’ll need just four basic ingredients: one large can of whole peeled tomatoes, fresh garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes or small red chili peppers.
I fell in love with arrabbiata sauce during a college semester in Bordeaux, France. I was actually a picker eater, and I was learning how to cook by playing around in our dorm’s lackluster kitchen. We lived on cheap pasta during those months, and I livened up my noodles with various sautéed vegetables.
The spiciness of the arrabbiata sauce offered so much bold flavor that it made my simple meals taste exciting and helped me learn to love veggies like zucchini and bell pepper. I’ve come a long way since then, and it all started with arrabbiata sauce!
How to Make Arrabbiata Sauce
The full recipe is below, but here are a few notes before you get started.
- The best tomatoes for arrabbiata sauce are San Marzano or Muir Glen brand. Canned tomatoes are the way to go because they offer rich flavor year-round.
- Authentic Italian recipes seem to use peperone friariello or cayenne peppers, which I’ve not been able to find locally. While untraditional, Fresno peppers work well and taste very fresh. Jarred Calabrian peppers work, too, and lend a smoky undertone. The simplest option, which tastes wonderfully spicy and a touch smoky, is red pepper flakes.
- Start small with the pepper flakes, which will intensify in flavor during the cooking process. Some red pepper flakes are spicier than others, and mine from Frontier Co-op are quite spicy. You can always add more to taste near the end.
- Cooking the sauce for 45 minutes is vital to achieving amazing flavor. I’d love to offer a shortcut, but something magical occurs during this time. Plan to start the sauce early; it will make your kitchen smell amazing as it cooks!
- You might double the batch and freeze the leftovers. They will keep for up to 6 months. To freeze, let the sauce cool to room temperature and transfer it to a mason jar (leave some room at the top for expansion) or silicone Souper Cubes. To reduce the amount of freezer burn that develops on the top, ideally chill the sauce thoroughly in the fridge before transferring the container to the freezer. If you’re using a mason jar, wait until the sauce is frozen to screw on the lid tightly.
How to Serve Arrabbiata Sauce
Penne rigate noodles are the ideal vehicle for arrabbiata sauce. The sauce clings to its ridges and tucks into the interiors. Similar noodle shapes like ziti will work particularly well, too. To be honest, I’d probably enjoy arrabbiata sauce on any noodle and definitely on spaghetti.
Traditionally, arrabbiata sauce is most often garnished with chopped Italian (flat-leaf) parsley and pecorino romano cheese. I love it with Parmesan cheese, too. If that’s what you have on hand, go for it.
Consider serving your arrabbiata sauce with any of these recipes to round out your meal.
Green salad: Try my Vegetarian Italian Chopped Salad or a simplified salad with Italian Dressing. You can never go wrong with Lemony Kale Salad or Super Simple Arugula Salad.
Vegetable side: Green beans, broccoli and cauliflower are hearty vegetables that pair well with this pasta dish. Make my Best Ever Green Beans or more simple Roasted Green Beans, Roasted Cauliflower (try the Italian variation), Perfect Roasted Broccoli or the knock-out Parmesan Roasted Broccoli with Balsamic Drizzle.
Drinks: For an aperitivo, or a drink before your meal, try an Americano Cocktail or Classic Aperol Spritz. Italian red wines that pair well with spicy tomato sauces include Sangiovese and Primitivo, or for white wine, try Pinot Grigio.
Dessert: To cap off your spicy meal, try a small decadent treat, like Foolproof Basque Cheesecake, Pots de Crème, Lemon Posset or Mini Lava Cakes for Two.
More Saucy Pastas to Enjoy
If you enjoy this arrabbiata sauce, you’ll love these recipes. Find even more pasta recipes here.
- Super Simple Marinara Sauce
- Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce
- Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables
- Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
- Pasta alla Norma
Please let me know how your sauce turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you and I’m eager to hear how you serve this one.
Arrabbiata Sauce
This arrabbiata sauce tastes like spicy marinara sauce and offers authentic Italian flavor. Serve it over penne or similarly shaped pasta. Recipe yields 2 cups sauce (enough for 8 to 16 ounces cooked pasta, depending on how saucy you like it); double if desired.
Ingredients
- 1 large can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes*
- 4 large cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more to taste, or 2 small red chili peppers**, seeds and ribs removed and finely chopped
- Salt, to taste (if necessary)
- For garnish, optional: Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and grated pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the tomatoes (with their juices), garlic cloves, olive oil and red pepper flakes.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then lower the heat to keep it at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes or until droplets of oil float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, and use a sturdy wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes against the side of the pot after the sauce has cooked for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Smash the garlic cloves against the side of the pot with a fork, then stir the smashed garlic into the sauce. Use the wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes to your liking (you can blend this sauce smooth with an immersion blender or stand blender, if desired).
- Add salt, to taste (the tomatoes are already pretty salty, so you might just need a tiny pinch). If you’d prefer spicier sauce, add more pepper flakes, to taste (keep in mind that the sauce will become more spicy with time).
- Stir into hot, cooked pasta. If desired, garnish bowls with an extra sprinkle of pepper flakes. This sauce keeps well covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
Notes
*Tomato recommendation: San Marzana tomatoes or Muir Glen brand yield the best sauce.
**Fresh chili pepper options: Traditional Italian recipes use peperone friariello peppers, which I’ve not been able to find locally. While untraditional, Fresno peppers work well and taste very fresh. Jarred calabrian peppers work, too, and lend a slightly smoky undertone.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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