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Rigatoni Arrabbiata pairs chunky pasta with a rich tomato sauce made super picante with lots of hot peppers and garlic. But, this spicy tomato sauce is not all about the heat! This recipe has multiple layers of flavor that will wow your tastebuds. And, it’s ready in just 30 minutes! Read on for more.
Let’s Talk About Heat (and Anger)
So, “arrabbiata” translates to English as “angry“, and the sauce is supposed to taste fiery, like the sauce itself is angry, and like it was made by an angry person.
That is to say, it must be HOT.
The heat is what makes it arrabbiata sauce: the fiery, piquant anger of it. Also, arrabbiata sauce is meant to have a nice hit of garlic.
There are different ways to impart heat to the sauce, such as fresh chilis, dried chilis, etc. And, I’ve tried them all.
In the long run, I’ve designed my pasta all’arrabbiata in the spirit of my spaghetti aglio e olio that contains three forms of garlic. That is to say, this recipe has multiple forms of heat, each imparting not only fire, but also layers of flavor: dried red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili paste and vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers (along with some of the marinade).
I really love the punch of flavor that each of these forms of heat adds to the final dish! It blows away any jarred arrabbiata sauce out there (that are all very mild, boring and one-noted in my humble opinion) and creates such a unique and well-balanced flavor profile.
Arrabbiata versus Fra Diavolo
These two preparations are nearly the same. Both are tomato-based sauces that have a certain level of picante to them. But, in my opinion, arrabbiata tends to be more of a pasta-based sauce, whereas fra diavolo tends to be mostly paired with seafood. Also, arrabbiata (at least the way that I prepare it in the recipe below) has multiple layers of heat from different types of chilis, predominantly vinegar-marinated hot peppers that contribute a unique briny and acidic punch. Fra diavolo is also mostly about the spicy sauce contributing flavor to the seafood.
Having said this, you can certainly use these terms interchangeably, for the most part.
For a few other recipes that have a fair amount of picante, check out Spicy Garlic Shrimp, Quick and Easy Spicy Sautéed Calamari, Spicy Marinated Mushrooms and Calamari Pasta Fra Diavolo. And, to top off anything with a bit of heat, make my two-ingredient homemade chili oil!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick, Easy, Economical: This flavorful sauce comes together in 30 minutes, has few ingredients and is perfect for a last minute, weeknight meal.
- Great for Meal Prep: Make the sauce a few days in advance and hold it for up to 5 days in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. And, feel free to double or even trip the sauce portion of the recipe and freeze it in portions to have available in a pinch when you are craving something fiery!
- Wide-Appeal: Rigatoni arrabbiata is naturally vegan/plant-based so it appeals to the masses. With this much flavor, there’s no need for any cheese!
This classic Italian pasta dish is the ideal combination of comfort and excitement. Its layers of flavor will seriously wow anyone that has a penchant for good taste. Mangia bene!
Ingredients for Rigatoni Arrabbiata
Here are the ingredients we will be using in this rigatoni arrabbiata recipe:
- Hot Peppers: This recipe has multiple forms of heat, each imparting not only fire, but also layers of flavor: dried red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili paste and vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers (along with some of the marinade)–the star of the dish! While I used a combination of different types of hot peppers, you can actually use whatever hot peppers that you like, even fresh! (I do recommend the vinegar-marinated chili peppers regardless, though–their brininess makes the dish!)
- Pasta: I made this dish with chunky rigatoni, but it would honestly work with any and all pasta shapes, short or long. Some other popular shapes for this sauce are penne rigate and spaghetti.
- Tomatoes: I generally prefer to use whole canned tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed than other types. However, you can also use diced or even crushed tomatoes (if you prefer a smoother sauce) in this recipe. Also, choose a high-quality canned tomato, such as a San Marzano tomato, for this recipe. As there are so few ingredients, their quality really matters.
- Garlic and Fresh Herbs: Garlic and herbs are important aromatics in the recipe. Fresh parsley and/or basil are preferred, but can be substituted with a small amount of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate. Arrabbiata sauce tends to have more garlic than others, but use as much or as little garlic as you like!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used to sauté the aromatics and add some final richness to the finished pasta.
A complete and detailed list of ingredients with amounts and instructions is included in the recipe below.
How to Make Rigatoni Arrabbiata, Step-by-Step
Here are the main steps for making this spicy arrabbiata pasta sauce:
- Prep and gather all ingredients. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
- Then, combine olive oil, parsley, garlic, Calabrian chili paste and crushed red pepper in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- PRO-TIP: Fresh parsley and/or basil are preferred, but can be substituted with a small amount of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate.
- Add the diced hot cherry peppers and their liquid and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- PRO-TIP: You can use none, some or all of the cherry pepper seeds. The more you include, the hotter the pasta will be. I used half the seeds of 3 cherry peppers in this recipe and it was perfect. Don’t forget the 2 Tbsp of the vinegar marinade as that adds so much flavor!
- Then, add the tomatoes and salt and stir until well-combined. Cover and bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce. Then, hold the sauce on warm.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, or two minutes less than al dente.
- PRO-TIP: Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp salt.
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the spicy tomato sauce along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta cooking water (to start) and increase the heat to medium.
- Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! Add additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Once the rigatoni pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, fold in the remaining parsley and drizzle a healthy glug of high-quality olive oil over the pasta, stir and serve. That’s it!
Try serving this recipe with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, Eggplant Cutlets or Zucchini A Scapece–all are delicious pairings!
Frequently Asked Questions for Rigatoni Arrabbiata
Marinara is a hearty tomato sauce for pasta, whereas arrabbiata sauce is a quickly-cooked tomato sauce that is spicy from hot peppers and lots of garlic. One could argue that they are exactly the same except for the level of heat involved. Both are delicious, savory sauces that have lots of other uses.
While I used a combination of different types of hot peppers for multiple layers of flavor, you can actually use whatever hot peppers that you like, even fresh! (I do recommend the vinegar-marinated chili peppers regardless, though–their brininess makes the dish!)
Try serving this recipe with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, Eggplant Cutlets or Zucchini A Scapece–all are delicious pairings!
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious ways to change up this spicy spaghetti sauce recipe:
- Add Butter: For a more restaurant-style finish, add two tablespoons butter to the finished pasta along with the final drizzle of olive oil. This will create a silkier and richer pasta.
- Add Protein: Spicy tomato sauces like arrabbiata are ideal pairings with seafood. I love to add shrimp, crab meat or even lobster and mussels to my arrabbiata sauce for increased protein and heartiness. That’s not to say that some savory Italian sausage wouldn’t be perfect, too!
- Add anchovies, capers and/or olives: For a briny, savory and umami punch, add some anchovies, drained capers and/or chopped black, oil-cured olives to the pan along with the garlic.
- Use Fresh Tomatoes: Substitute two pints fresh grape or cherry tomatoes (quartered) instead of the canned tomatoes for a chunkier and lighter sauce. You may also want to add one tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken the sauce a bit and increase the tomato-ness.
- Skip the Pasta! Use this fiery tomato sauce as a base for your favorite parm or pizza recipe!
- Top with Cheese: If you’d like, top off this pasta with a bit of grated Pecorino Romano or parmesan cheese for a touch of sharpness and richness.
- Adjust the Heat and/or Peppers: The beauty of making this sauce from scratch is that you can adjust the heat level, up or down, to your personal taste. And, while I used a combination of different types of hot peppers, you can actually use whatever hot peppers that you like, even fresh! Consider sautéing some finely diced fresh jalapeño or long hot peppers along with the garlic in place of the dried chili flakes. I do recommend the vinegar-marinated chili peppers regardless, though–their brininess makes the dish!
Check out my answer to “How Much Salt Should You Add to Pasta Water?” here, as featured in Appetito’s online Italian Food and Drink Magazine. (Hint: I also mention it in the recipe below.)
More Simple Italian Pasta Recipes
Looking for more simple pasta inspiration? Check out:
- Spaghetti Aglio, Olio and Peperoncino
- Pasta Sorrentina with Tomatoes, Basil and Fresh Mozzarella
- Pasta with Broccoli, Pecorino and Lemon
- Bucatini with Tuna Ragu
- Quick and Easy Spaghetti with Lump Crabmeat
More Italian Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog Mangia With Michele and all of my Italian recipes!
If you’ve tried Rigatoni Arrabbiata or another recipe here, let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Rigatoni Arrabbiata ~ Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil + more for finishing
- ⅓ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves or basil, divided
- 3 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic (use more or less, as desired)
- ½ Tbsp Calabrian chili paste
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup small diced hot cherry peppers marinated in vinegar, cored (about 3 peppers) See NOTE about seeds.
- 2 Tbsp vinegar marinade from cherry peppers
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes crushed by hand + ¼ can water (See Notes.)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 pound rigatoni or other pasta + salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Prep and gather all ingredients according to specifications above. Put a large pot of water on to boil.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Combine the olive oil, half the parsley, garlic, Calabrian chili paste and crushed red pepper in a large skillet over medium low heat and cook until the garlic starts to soften and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tbsp chopped or thinly sliced garlic, ½ Tbsp Calabrian chili paste, ½ tsp crushed red pepper
- Add the diced hot cherry peppers and their liquid and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.¼ cup small diced hot cherry peppers marinated in vinegar,, 2 Tbsp vinegar marinade from cherry peppers
- Then, add the tomatoes, 1/2 can water and salt and stir until well-combined.1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, ½ tsp salt
- Cover and bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 10 to 12 minutes or so to reduce and thicken the sauce. Then, hold the sauce on warm.
- Once the water comes to a boil, add salt, then the pasta and cook it for 2 minutes less than the package instructions, or two minutes less than al dente.1 pound rigatoni
- When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the spicy tomato sauce along with about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water (to start) and increase the heat to medium. Stir well to fully combine all ingredients and let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce and absorb all of those wonderful flavors! Add additional pasta water if more moisture is needed.
- Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, fold in the remaining parsley and drizzle a healthy glug of high-quality olive oil over the pasta, stir and serve. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- You can use none, some or all of the cherry pepper seeds. The more you include, the hotter the pasta will be. I used half the seeds of 3 cherry peppers in this recipe and it was perfect. Don’t forget the 2 Tbsp of the vinegar marinade as that adds so much flavor!
- In a pinch, you can use just one or two forms of the heat in this recipe. The heat level is entirely up to you! I really do recommend the vinegar-marinated hot cherry peppers, though. They make the dish!
- Fresh parsley and/or basil are preferred but can be substituted with a small amount of dried in a pinch. If you use dried herbs, add all of them at the same time as the tomatoes so that they are able to rehydrate.
- I generally prefer to use whole canned tomatoes and then hand crush them as they are less processed than other types, plus I prefer a chunky sauce. However, you can also use diced tomatoes or even crushed (if you prefer a smoother sauce) in this recipe.
- Also, choose a high-quality canned tomato, such as a San Marzano tomato, for this recipe. As there are so few ingredients, their quality really matters.
- Use a large pot with 5 to 6 quarts water for 1 pound of pasta. Bring the water to a boil before adding the salt. Use 1 1/2 – 2 Tbsp salt.
- The pasta water is key! Add it to the sauce along with the pasta for the additional moisture needed to finish cooking the pasta.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat them, covered, in a small skillet over medium low heat with a little bit of water until heated through.
- Feel free to double or even trip the sauce portion of the recipe and freeze it in portions to have available in a pinch when you are craving something fiery!
The best arrabbiata, hands down, out there! LOVE the vinegar hot peppers. My new favorite recipe. yum.