Ingredients
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
6 oz. tubed pasta (penne or rigatoni)
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. fresh basil
Preparation
Step 1Drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and tear or chop into 1/2" pieces. Add tomatoes back to reserved juice and set aside.Step 2In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until paste darkens and begins to stick to bottom of skillet, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, occasionally mashing down on tomato chunks, until sauce is thickened and reduced by about one-third, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and lemon juice for acidity, if needed.Step 3Make Ahead: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and chill.
Step 1Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Cook pasta until very al dente (2 to 3 minutes less than the package instructions). Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.Step 2Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 cup arrabbiata sauce. Add drained pasta along with 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, tossing constantly and adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until pasta is al dente and sauce is glossy and coats pasta, 4 to 5 minutes.Step 3Top with Parmesan and basil.
Boosted with garlic and a warming hit of red pepper flakes, this rich spicy tomato sauce is our new favorite weeknight pasta sauce. It’s simple and quick to make and incredibly delicious. Read on for more tips and information on this classic Italian pasta sauce. Looking for something to serve with your pasta? Whip up some homemade garlic knots or a quick arugula salad. What is arrabbiata sauce? Named after the Italian word for “angry,” arrabbiata sauce is a spicy red sauce made by cooking garlic, red pepper flakes, and tomatoes in olive oil. Our version sticks pretty closely to the classic, with the addition of tomato paste to give it some extra body and more concentrated tomato flavor, as well as lemon juice to brighten it up at the end. Arrabbiata is not meant to be a smooth heavy sauce: It should coat the noodles lightly with chunks of tomato that remain even after it has cooked for a few minutes, similar to puttanesca sauce. What’s the difference between arrabbiata and marinara sauce? Both arrabbiata and marinara are light tomato-based sauces, but arrabbiata has a kick of heat from the red pepper flakes. Marinara usually tastes sweeter by comparison. What pasta goes with arrabbiata sauce? Traditionally, arrabbiata sauce is served with penne pasta, but any short-ridged pasta would work. You could try rotini, rigatoni, or even cavatappi if you wanted to. How much pasta do I need for the amount of sauce in this recipe? This recipe makes enough sauce for 12 ounces of pasta, but we don’t recommend trying to sauce that entire pound of pasta all at once—it would be incredibly difficult and messy! Instead, transfer the finished sauce to another container and reheat a portion of the sauce in the pan while you’re cooking your pasta. We recommend about 1 cup sauce for every 6 ounces of pasta. When your pasta is cooked but still very al dente, you can add it to the reheat sauce, along with about 1/4 cup pasta cooking water, and toss over high heat until the sauce is glossy and clinging to the pasta, and the pasta is completely cooked through. How do I store leftovers? Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can store leftover cooked and sauced pasta for up to 3 days, but we highly recommend cooking and saucing only what you’re planning to eat that night and avoiding cooked pasta leftovers altogether. Freshly cooked pasta is the best! Made this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
