My spicy Arrabbiata Sauce takes your basic marinara and gives it a fiery makeover. With a good dose of crushed red pepper, this sauce brings the heat.
Toss it with your favorite pasta, or use it as a base for more elaborate dishes like Frutti di Mare, either way your tastebuds are sure to tingle.
Though there are some good jarred pasta sauces nowadays, we usually prefer to make them from scratch. Marinara, Vodka Sauce and Pesto Genovese are some classics that we regularly whip up. But if you’re a regular follower, you know we like it spicy. That’s why Arrabbiata Sauce is a must on GypsyPlate!
What is Arrabbiata Sauce?
Literally translating to “angry” in Italian, Arrabbiata is basically marinara sauce that has been amped up with a good dose of crushed red pepper. It arose in the 1950’s, when spicy food was trendy in Rome.
Arrabbiata can be used on its own as a pasta sauce, or can have other add-ins like seafood or Italian sausage. I also love it as a spicy pizza sauce.
Ingredients Needs
Here are the things you will need. You can find exact measurements in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Extra virgin olive oil – I use a full quarter cup, so it does add to the flavor of the sauce. That’s why I use a good quality, boldly-flavored oil.
- Onion – Finely chopped.
- Garlic – Minced.
- Crushed red pepper – This is what makes the sauce stand out. I use 1.5 tablespoons, but if you’re a little heat sensitive, start with less and add to taste.
- Tomatoes – I use whole canned San Marzano tomatoes and crush them by hand in a bowl. You can also use canned crushed tomatoes to skip a step.
- Water – I simmer the sauce for a long time, so a little water helps keeping it from reducing too much.
- Salt, pepper and sugar – To taste.
Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe
1. Sauté aromatics: First, I heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion for a few minutes, until it becomes soft and translucent. Then I add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook it for about a minute.
2. Add tomatoes and simmer: Next, I add in the crushed tomatoes, bring the sauce to a low simmer, reduce the heat and cook it for about 45 minutes. As it’s cooking, I add in some water if it gets too thick. Towards the end of the simmering time, I taste and adjust for salt, pepper and sugar.
That’s it. Easy, huh?
Tips and Notes
- I recommend San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand. They have the best flavor. That being said, you can use regular crushed tomatoes. They may require additional sugar when you taste and adjust the sauce.
- The recommended amount of crushed red pepper creates a fairly spicy, but not overly so, sauce. Feel free to adjust to your personal taste.
- In a pinch, you can reduce the simmering time. The flavors won’t be as developed, but it’s still better than jarred.
- Arrabbiata is most commonly paired with penne, but I find it to work with a variety of other shapes, especially spaghetti.
Give your pasta night a spicy makeover with this easy spicy tomato sauce. If you like your food with a little kick, this one is a must.
And stay tuned for our next post, Frutti di Mare. It’s a restaurant quality dinner that you don’t want to miss!
Arrabbiata Sauce
My easy homemade Arrabbiata Sauce recipe gives your basic marinara a spicy makeover, and goes great with any of your favorite pasta shapes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 tablespoon crushed red pepper
- 2 28oz cans whole San Marzano Tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 cup water (you may not use all)
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- sugar, to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Add onion and cook until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes and. Bring to a low simmer, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick.
- Serve with your favorite pasta.
Notes
- You can adjust the quantity of crushed red pepper to make the sauce more or less spicy.
- Enjoy the sauce on it's own atop pasta, or try add-in like seafood or sausage.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. I also like to freeze portions for future use.
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 110Total Fat 7gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 85mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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