Arrabiata Sauce Recipe

This is the best arrabiata sauce recipe you will ever try! It is bursting with flavor, and has just the right amount of spice. It is also incredibly easy to make. You will love how this sauce enhances your favorite dishes.

A jar of delicious arrabbiata sauce made from scratch with basil leaves and tomatoes.

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We LOVE pasta, pasta with marinara sauce, pasta with roasted eggplant, and pesto pasta are amongst our favorites.

And this spicy Italian tomato sauce is one of our all-time favorites!

It’s one of our favorite sauces to use for penne arrabiata.

Why you’ll love our arrabiata sauce

  • It takes just 5 ingredients, 20 minutes to make, and is SO easy to make!
  • It’s very cost efficient, you can batch make and then freeze it so you always have a supply for whenever you need it.
  • You can use it on any kind of pasta you have in your store cupboard!
  • It’s suitable for both vegetarians and vegans!

What ingredients do I need?

You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.

Ingredients for making arrabbiata sauce, fresh basil, salt, canned tomatoes, garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes.

What does arrabiata mean?

Arrabiata, or arrabbiata (correct spelling), means ‘angry’ in Italian.

Why is arrabiata sauce angry? It’s the red pepper flakes that give the sauce recipe its fiery spiciness, aka angriness.

When you taste this delicious arrabiata sauce and realise just how wonderful it is, and that it takes just 20 minutes to make, you will never buy another jar of pasta sauce again. EVER.

A pot of arrabbiata sauce with basil leaves.

What’s the difference between marinara sauce and arrabiata sauce?

Marinara sauce and arrabiata sauce have a lot of similarities.

They are both made with garlic sauteed in olive oil and are tomato-based sauces.

Where they differ mainly is that marinara sauce contains onion and arrabiata has more pepper flakes in it.

Marinara is a mellow herby flavor, this arriabiata sauce recipe is hot and spicy.

A spoonfull of arrabiata sauce freshly made, with fresh tomatoes and red pepper flakes.

What are the top Italian sauces?

There are many Italian sauces that are delicious when added to cooked pasta, here are 10 different sauces, in no particular order:

Homemade arrabiata sauce with basil leaves, fresh tomatoes and red pepper flakes.

Which tomatoes are best to use?

We used canned tomatoes, ours are crushed tomatoes but you can use whole tomatoes.

The best type of canned tomatoes to use are sweet San Marzano

Sweet San Marzano tomatoes are grown near Mount Vesuvius, they are sweeter tomatoes because of the volcanic soil.

If you use whole tomatoes, then just gently break them up with the back of a wooden spoon as you are cooking them.

Diced tomatoes are perfectly fine to use.

How do I make it less spicy?

It’s the crushed chili flakes that give arrabiata sauce its spiciness, so if you’re not a fan of spice, then you could either leave out the crushed red pepper flakes.

Or you could alternatively make a marinara sauce that doesn’t have the spice that this sauce has.

Arrabbiata sauce made from scratch with red pepper flakes and fresh tomatoes.

My arrabiata sauce is too runny, how do I thicken it?

If you think that your homemade sauce is too runny, then you can add tomato paste.

While cooking the sauce, add a tablespoon of tomato paste, stir it in and see if this thickens the sauce to your liking, if not, then just add more tomato paste until it’s thick enough.

We don’t use tomato paste in our spicy tomato sauce as we like the consistency.

Should I use olive oil or butter?

Traditionally arrabbiata sauce is made with olive oil, however, butter works well for this delicious pasta sauce.

To keep this spicy arrabbiata sauce vegan as well as vegetarian, we’ve stuck with traditional and used olive oil.

Homemade arrabbiata sauce on a wooden tray, with basil and tomatoes.

What can I serve it with?

Our homemade tomato sauce is so flexible, you can use it on any pasta, with a slice of nice crusty bread, as a pizza sauce, in sandwiches, in baked potatoes, as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks – it goes with so many different things.

Penne pasta is perfect for this sauce recipe, but you really could use any type of pasta in it.

How do I store my homemade sauce?

Your arrabiata sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you want to keep your spicy arrabbiata sauce for longer, then put it in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe notes and tips

  • Worried it’ll be too spicy?
  • Add the crushed red pepper flakes slowly and taste regularly when you have stirred them into the tomato sauce.
  • Want to save time in the future?
  • Make a double or triple batch of arrabiata sauce and freeze it in portions in freezer bags.
  • Can’t find sweet San Marzano tomatoes?
  • Use the best quality canned tomatoes you can afford.
A pot of arrabbiata sauce cooking with a wooden spoon.

More easy Italian recipes for you to try at home

How to make quick arrabiata sauce with step by step instructions

Making our spicy arrabbiata sauce recipe is easy if you follow our simple instructions.

A full printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.

In a large pot, heat your extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for approximately 1 minute, stir to ensure the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add garlic, and red pepper flakes.
Add il and pepper flakes to a large pot.
add tomatoes and pepper.
Then add tomatoes and black pepper, and cook for approx. 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add fresh basil leaves.
Add fresh basil leaves and serve your spicy sauce.

Then add your canned San Marzano tomatoes and stir to combine.

Cook for 15 minutes and stir occasionally.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Serve and enjoy!

Fresh arrabbiata sauce homemade with red pepper flakes and tomatoes.

We hope you enjoy making our arrabiata sauce recipe and would love to hear how you got on making it.

Please leave us a comment below or feel free to ask any questions you may have – enjoy!

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Arrabiata sauce recipe

This arrabiata sauce recipe is the perfect way to spice up your next meal. Made with tomatoes, garlic, and chili peppers, it's packed with flavor and heat. Whether you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner or a flavorful addition to your favorite recipes, this sauce is a must-try.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Servings4
Calories83
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Italian

Utensils

Large pot

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 Cloves garlic minced
  • ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
  • 14 oz Chopped tomatoes canned
  • Basil leaves a generous handful
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large pot, heat your extra virgin olive oil over medium heat, then add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for approximately 1 minute, stir to ensure the garlic doesn't burn
    2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil, 2 Cloves garlic, ½ tsp Red pepper flakes
  • Then add your canned San Marzano tomatoes and stir to combine
    14 oz Chopped tomatoes
  • Cook for 15 minutes and stir occasionally. Add fresh basil leaves, and season with salt and black pepper to taste
    Basil leaves, Salt and pepper to taste
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Worried it’ll be too spicy? Add the crushed red pepper flakes slowly and taste regularly when you have stirred them into the tomato sauce
  • Want to save time in the future? Make a double or triple batch of arrabiata sauce and freeze it in portions in freezer bags
  • Can’t find sweet San Marzano tomatoes? Use the best quality canned tomatoes you can afford

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 198mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 191IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.

Learn how to make arrabiata sauce with step-by-step photos.

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Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’m making pasta today for dinner. This sauce sounds like a perfect addition. Thanks for this lovely recipe. Can’t wait to give this a try.

  2. 5 stars
    A fantastic sauce, and I will highly recommend it to my family and friends 🙂
    Perfect sauce for pasta the kids absolutely loved it
    Thank you so much!!

    1. If you don’t like chunky sauces, then you could use chopped tomatoes instead of whole ones, that would be the best but if you don’t like chopped tomatoes either, then you could use tomato puree, it’ll change the texture and taste. I have never tried it with tomato puree so would be interested to know how you got on with it!

  3. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love arrabiata in restaurants. I’ve never been able to perfect it at home until I found your website! (I prefer red chilli flakes in mine though – really gives it a kick compared to Marinara sauce!)