Arrabbiata Sauce
This spicy arrabbiata sauce is about to be your new go-to for pasta dinners! It’s easy to make with only 8 ingredients, but it has so much depth and flavour.
Although I’m an avid lover of marinara sauce, sometimes I like something with more depth. More layers of flavour. More spice! That’s where arrabbiata sauce comes in.
Arrabbiata means “angry,” which refers to the heat level of this sauce. Traditionally it’s made with dried chili peppers; for the sake of ease, I used fresh red pepper flakes. Apart from the pepper flakes, I tried to keep everything else as traditional as possible, and based the technique loosely off of my homemade tomato sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe
- Better than store-bought. This sauce is so much fresher and has more depth of flavour than any store-bought tomato sauce in a jar!
- Versatile. Use it as a dipping sauce, pasta sauce, or in any recipe that calls for marinara.
- Easy to make. Although it does take some time, most of it is hands-off. There’s nothing complicated about this recipe!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Oil – Extra-virgin olive oil is the traditional choice.
- Red pepper flakes – You can use as much or as little as you’d like!
- White onion – White onion has a bit more bite than yellow, but you can swap in a yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand.
- Tomatoes – For the most traditional choice, use San Marzano tomatoes, which are imported from Italy.
- Garlic
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Fresh basil – You really want to use fresh basil here, not dried. The flavor is so much better!
How to Make Arrabbiata Sauce
- Infuse the oil. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the red pepper flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Cook the garlic and onion. Reduce the heat to medium and a sauté the garlic and onion until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in the tomatoes, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Mash the tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes, then stir and cook 30 minutes more.
- Finish. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the basil before serving.
Tips for Success
- Adjust the heat level. If you prefer a milder sauce, start with half the amount of red pepper flakes.
- Be patient with simmering. Allowing the sauce to simmer for the full 30 minutes is crucial for developing its depth of flavour. Resist the urge to turn up the heat so your sauce is done faster!
- Don’t skip the oil infusion. Sautéing the red pepper flakes in the oil at the beginning is a key step. It infuses the oil with a deep, spicy flavour that forms the foundation of arrabbiata sauce.
Ways to Use Arrabbiata Sauce
- Pasta. The most obvious answer! Serve this spicy sauce over your favorite pasta, topped with some fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese. (Don’t forget the roasted garlic bread!)
- Zoodles. Keep things light and toss this sauce with zucchini noodles.
- Pizza. Use arrabbiata sauce on my homemade pizza dough recipe and add your favourite toppings.
- Dipping Sauce. Serve as a dip for arancini or fried polenta.
- Lasagna. Swap arrabbiata for marinara in vegan lasagna.
- Stuffed shells. You can also use arrabbiata sauce for vegan stuffed shells!
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer the arrabbiata sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. I recommend reheating it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
Can I Freeze This Recipe
Yes! Arrabbiata sauce freezes exceptionally well. Portion it into freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More Vegan Sauce Recipes
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper Hot Sauce
- Tartar Sauce
- Thai Peanut Sauce
- Jamaica Jerk Sauce – Homemade and Easy
- Vegan Alfredo Sauce + 5 Ways to Use it
Enjoy friends! If you make this arrabbiata sauce, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Arrabbiata Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil, of choice
- 2 teaspoons red pepper chilli flakes
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2-28 ounce cans of whole tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- sea salt to taste*
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped or julienned
Instructions
- In a pan over medium high heat, heat the oil.
- Add in the red pepper chilli flakes and cook through for about 3 minutes, swirling in the oil, checking to ensure they don’t burn. The flakes should be sizzling.
- Reduce heat to medium and add in the garlic and the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the entire two cans of tomatoes. Stir everything together. Cover the pot for about 10 minutes to break down the tomatoes slightly.
- Remove cover and using your wooden spoon or spatula, kind of chop up the tomatoes. I loved mine chunkier but you could even taste an immersion blender to the mix at the end. Stir the tomato mixture and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring infrequently.
- After 30 minutes, season to taste with salt and add the black pepper and stir again. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped basil. Allow to cool slightly then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- *I say sea salt to taste because some cans of tomatoes including salt. I added 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to my entire pot, but add based on your tomatoes and taste.
- * You know I usually always recommend fresh tomatoes but canned tomatoes are more traditional here. It will work with fresh tomatoes though, but you may need to cook it for about 15 minutes longer for an added depth of flavour! I would just remove the skins first.
- To store: Transfer the arrabbiata sauce to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. I recommend reheating it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
- To freeze: Portion into freezer-safe containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Any thoughts on how to make this in an Instant Pot? I’ve looked through multiple recipes but I like yours the best, but I’m itching to use my new Instant Pot!!
Hi Steph! We haven’t actually tried using it in an insta pot so we won’t be able to give advice on that. When we do I will come back to this comment. Thank you so much for reading and liking this recipe!
Made this today for a simple pasta dish, and it was delicious! I slightly upped the pepper flakes to a full tablespoon, and added a teaspoon of two of sugar (which might or might not be blasphemous, but I always find helps cut the acid a bit). Such an easy, healthy pantry recipe – thank you!
Thank you so much for your kind words! *whispers* the sugar addition is fine by me. We’re just happy that you enjoyed it. Thank you again!
Is the garlic minced or left whole
Hi JoAnn,
It seems my notes got removed from this by accident. Onion is to be diced and garlic is to be diced. Hope you enjoy!