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Canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, Italian seasonings, and a dash of red pepper flakes are simmered into a zesty sauce with hearty rigatoni for a bowl of irresistible pasta perfection.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Arrabbiata sauce has red pepper flakes (AKA red chili flakes), which gives it that signature bold and spicy flavor.
- Skill Level: Simple ingredients and a few minutes on the stove produce a restaurant-quality dinner in minutes.
- Swaps: Save carbs and calories and serve Arrabbiata sauce over bowls of homemade zoodles.
- Time-Saving Tip: Purchase a jar of Arrabbiata sauce and season with additional red pepper flakes to taste.
- Serving Suggestions: Make it a hearty main dish and add seasoned ground beef, Italian sausage, or shrimp. Don’t forget a fresh batch of homemade cheesy garlic breadsticks to soak up all that savory, spicy sauce.
Ingredient Tips for Rigatoni Arrabbiata
- Pasta: Rigatoni is the perfect pasta shape for capturing all that spicy sauce. Other shapes that will hold up well in the rich sauce are penne, rotini, ziti, or cavatappi.
- Sauce: The star of this recipe is the sauce, so choose the highest quality canned tomatoes and tomato paste available for the best results. Use more or less red pepper flakes to suit your taste; remember the sauce will get spicier as it simmers! If the sauce is too spicy, stir in extra sugar or some shredded carrot. The sweetness of the carrot will offset the spicy red pepper flakes.
- Variations: Turn an Arrabbiata sauce into a Puttanesca sauce by adding capers, anchovies, and olives. Top with some pecorino or parmesan cheese. Garnish with some fresh basil leaves.
Leftover Pasta Perfection
Keep leftover rigatoni Arrabbiata in a covered container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat portions in the microwave.
The sauce can be frozen in zippered bags for up to 3 months, reheated on low-medium heat on the stovetop, and served with fresh pasta.
Arrabbiata Goes Great With…
Did you enjoy this Rigatoni Arrabbiata? Leave a comment and rating below.
Rigatoni Arrabbiata
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28 ounce each) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar or as needed
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, chili flakes, and basil, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
- Toss the rigatoni with the sauce, adding pasta water as needed.
- Spoon into four bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Made this for the first time tonite. Not only does it look just like the picture, it was amazingly sooooo good. I wasn’t sure how spicy it would be using the teaspoon of red pepper flakes…it truly IS a spicy dish!! Didn’t add any extra sugar which I should have, but we ate it anyways! Next time I make this I’ll try 1/2 tsp pepper flakes and increase basil. Certainly a great pasta dish! Thanx Holly!
So glad you enjoyed it, Claire!