Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe

By
Morgan Baker
Morgan Walker
Morgan Baker
Morgan is a recipe developer and photographer. She is also a gardener and exceptional hugger.
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Published on 12/20/21
Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Morgan Baker
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 36 mins
Total: 46 mins
Yield: 2 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
839 Calories
52g Fat
94g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 839
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 52g 67%
Saturated Fat 30g 148%
Cholesterol 122mg 41%
Sodium 1865mg 81%
Total Carbohydrate 94g 34%
Dietary Fiber 38g 137%
Total Sugars 54g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 231mg 1,157%
Calcium 669mg 51%
Iron 13mg 70%
Potassium 3980mg 85%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This delicious sauce is perfectly spicy and hearty. Not only does it come together easily, you probably already have all the ingredients needed to make and serve it tonight. You can use this sauce to make shakshuka, eggplant parmesan, lasagna, or spread it onto a hoagie with a heavy handful of provolone cheese for a delicious meatball sub. It's also good served over pasta, on pizzas, or as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks.

The name comes from the Italian name of sugo all'arrabbiata, and arrabbiata translates to “angry” in English. This “angry'' sauce is aptly named as it contains quite a bit of crushed red peppers and is sure to satisfy your spicy palette. This dish is the perfect use of those deliciously juicy and red end of summer season San Marzano tomatoes.

Make up a huge batch of this sauce, can, and freeze it for a taste of summer all through the fall and winter. See how to freeze and store it in our tips section below the recipe.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 

  • 2 medium shallots, finely diced

  • 8 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper flakes sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Add the shallot and continue to sauté until they turn translucent, about 2 minutes. 

  4. Add the garlic and tomato paste, stirring continuously until fragrant and well combined, about 1 minute.

  5. Add the tomatoes, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.

  6. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes, or to desired consistency. 

  7. Stir in the fresh basil, and adjust the seasoning with salt and more pepper flakes, if desired. Serve over pasta or as suggested above.

Tip

This recipe calls for 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes, but you can always use more or less depending on your spice tolerance. Remember, if you’re planning to make the sauce for the purpose of freezing to use later, the spice level will grow slightly over time so keep that in mind when cooking. 

How to Store and Freeze

Frozen sauce will last in the freezer for months. If you are freezing your sauce, make sure to leave some room at the top to account for swelling. This will help prevent your canned sauce from bursting. Take it out to thaw in the fridge a day or two before you want to use it, then heat on the stovetop until warm and serve over pasta, on pizzas, or as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks.