Spaghetti Arrabiata (or arrabbiata) is our go-to meal when we’re looking for a pasta with a little kick. It’s a classic with spicy crushed red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and tomatoes. And best of all is it’s ready in about 20 minutes.
Arrabiata sauce originates from Rome, Italy and is simply a spicy tomato sauce. Hot peppers give the sauce its distinctive spice (arrabiata is Italian for “angry”). You can make arrabiata sauce as “angry” as you’d like depending on your preference for spice, but a big pinch of red pepper flakes is a great place to start.
As written, this recipe is vegetarian and could be made vegan by leaving out the cheese (and if you are a vegetarian who doesn’t eat rennet, buy a “vegetarian” option or omit the cheese). You may see this sauce on the menu at Italian-American restaurants, and it’s so simple you should add it to your meal rotation at home. In terms of authenticity, some Italians would never add onions or basil to their arrabiata sauce. But, this is a take on the same spicy tomato sauce my Italian grandmother made for us as kids (though she probably just used jarred tomato sauce!).
I like to use Calabrian chiles to give this sauce a spicy, yet fruity heat. I use these hot peppers, often sold chopped and packed in oil, for other recipes, too, including this Lentil and Red Pepper Soup.
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Ingredients that Matter
You may have most of these ingredients already in your pantry:
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes. Most of the spice/heat in this tomato sauce comes from dried and crushed red chili peppers. There is likely one or many varieties of dried chili peppers in store-bought crushed red pepper (also known as red pepper flakes), including serrano, jalapeno and Anaheim. CRP, as it’s called for those of us that use it a lot, is typically in the 30,000-50,000 Scoville unit range (the general indicator of spice level). Did you know you can make your own? We’ve made our own CRP by drying chili peppers until brittle, removing the stems, crushing the dried peppers (include the seeds), then storing in an air-tight jar throughout winter.Â
- Tomatoes. You can make this sauce with store-bought crushed tomatoes or if you grow your own tomatoes and can them at the end of the season you can use your own. Reach for a 28-ounce can, which is about 3 cups of crushed tomatoes. You could also use a 24-ounce jar of strained tomatoes. We prefer to used crushed San Marzano tomatoes as they tend to be sweet and less acidic.
- Garlic. Another key component of arrabiata sauce is garlic. We use a few cloves of minced garlic, as finely chopped garlic imparts a lot of flavor and melts into the sauce. Feel free to use more if you can never get enough garlic.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. The oil in the sauce helps cook the onions and garlic but it’s also there to provide richness. We like extra-virgin in this application strictly for its fruity, slightly sweet flavor.
- Onions. One finely chopped yellow onion cooked down to golden brown provides sweetness to our sauce. Be sure not to burn the onion as it cooks or the sauce may taste bitter.
- Basil and Pecorino/Parmesan. The dish is finished with fresh basil and grated fresh pecorino or Parmesan cheese. Add these both at the end to get fresh, bright flavors.
- Dried Oregano. Adding dried oregano early in the sauce-making process helps impart lots of aromatic oregano flavor. While we typically reach for fresh herbs, in this case we like the dried oregano as it’s fairly muted and pairs incredibly well with tomato sauce.
- Calabrian Chili Peppers (optional). To reinforce the spice level and provide a touch of fruity chili flavor, we use 1 tablespoon of jarred chopped Calabrian chili peppers. Add more if you like the spice level. You may use jarred cherry peppers if you can’t find Calabrian.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making arrabiata sauce is quite simple, but there’s a few key things to mention. First, be sure to cook the onions until they are golden brown as they’ll turn sweet and melt into the tomato sauce as it simmers. Add the chilies and dried oregano before the sauce simmers so they impart more flavor. Finally, stir that sauce as it simmers to prevent scorching.
Start by sautéing onions in extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat until golden brown and very soft, about 6 minutes.Â
Add garlic, crushed red pepper, dried oregano, salt, pepper and Calabrian chili (if using).
Add crushed tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
Stir in cooked and drained spaghetti and toss to coat. Finish with fresh torn basil leaves and grated pecorino or Parmesan
VIDEO: How to make Spaghetti Arrabiata
Marinara vs. Arrabiata Sauce
Both marinara and arrabiata sauce have tomatoes, garlic and herbs, but the main difference is the added crushed red pepper in arrabiata. Marinara sauce, meanwhile, tends to be sweeter and without spice. Both work very well on pasta, pizzas, lasagna and anytime a generic “spaghetti sauce” is needed.
Storage
Store leftover spaghetti arrabiata in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If possible, store the pasta and tomato sauce seperately. You can simply make the spicy tomato sauce up to 4 days ahead of time, if you’d like.
You can certainly freeze the arrabiata sauce! Be sure to let the sauce come to room temperature (or freeze straight from the refrigerator) before freezing. Simply store in an air-tight container, add a label, and freeze for up to 3 months. If you are following along to the recipe below, just omit the spaghetti. When reheating, you may need to thin out slightly with a little water. Bring it to a full boil to ensure the sauce is hot throughout.
Serving Suggestions
This spicy sauce is delicious on pizzas, as a base for steamed mussels, in lasagna, as a dip for breadsticks or fried mozzarella, or spooned onto eggplant parmesan.
Try serving this Spaghetti Arrabiata with our Perfect Seared Shrimp with Garlic and Herbs. Or use this spicy tomato sauce in our homemade Rigatoni Al Forno or our Easy Vegetable Lasagna recipes for a baked pasta with a kick. Again, this wouldn’t be traditional, but it would be quite tasty.
Substitutions
There are plenty of tweaks you can make to this recipe based on your dietary restrictions or flavor preferences. Consider the following substitutions:
- Gluten-Free – Feel free to swap in gluten-free spaghetti to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free and Vegan – The only thing keeping this recipe vegan and dairy-free is the addition of the cheese. Simply leave it out and you have a delicious vegan-friendly pasta dinner!
- Herbs – Instead of using fresh basil leaves try serving with parsley leaves, which may be considered more traditional.
- Peppers – You can leave out the Calabrian peppers, if desired, but you’ll want to add another big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to increase the heat. Or consider using a fresh hot pepper to add heat, which may break a bit from tradition, but would be quite delicious!
FAQ
Arrabiata sauce, which loosely translates to “angry” in Italian, is a simple spicy tomato sauce. Crushed red pepper flakes may provide the heat or fresh or jarred hot peppers.
If possible, store cooked spaghetti in a separate container from the sauce to avoid the pasta absorbing too much sauce. Store spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
More Pasta
Looking for more pasta recipes to make for dinner tonight? Try these:
Sides
Try these sides to serve alongside this Spaghetti Arrabiata recipe:
PrintRecipe
Spaghetti Arrabiata
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
Description
Spaghetti Arrabiata sauce is spicy, garlicky and herby. The sauce is tossed with spaghetti and is perfect for a busy weeknight dinner. Serve with chicken, shrimp or salmon and pile on the fresh torn basil leaves and grated pecorino or parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp. chopped Calabrian chili peppers (optional)
- 1–2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- ½ tsp. table salt, plus more as desired
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 (28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz. spaghetti
- fresh torn basil leaves (or parsley) and grated pecorino or Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Cover.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and very tender, 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and Calabrian chili (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper and stir well. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- While the sauce simmers, cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain then add to the sauce. Toss well and serve with basil and cheese.
Notes
- Calabrian chili peppers may not be traditional, but they provide a lot of flavor and spice. You can also use jarred hot cherry peppers.
- Use more crushed red pepper flakes if you like more heat.
- You can store leftover in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- You can freeze just the sauce (not with spaghetti) in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Main
- Method: Sautee
- Cuisine: Italian, Italian-American
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