Everyone needs a rich, delicious and simple pasta sauce recipe in their back pocket. I believe Arrabbiata is that sauce.
A few simple ingredients and a bit of simmering time and you have a flavourful, versatile sauce with a beautiful spicy kick.

It’s one of Italy’s best known pasta sauces and for good reason too.

Silver pan filled with arrabbiata sauce on a light background. There is a wooden spoon and sprinkled fresh basil leaves in the sauce.
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I honestly think this sauce can hold its own against any other pasta sauce.

Meat sauces, creamy sauces, pesto sauces – I love them all!
But this simple sauce? Ahhh I dream about it.

Tossed together with fresh pasta, topped with a sprinkling of basil leaves and a few shavings of crumbly parmesan. Genuine pasta heaven.

📋 What do we need?

Ingredients for Arrabbiata sauce on a wooden board.

The main ingredients for a traditional Arrabbiata include:

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • San Marzano tinned tomatoes
  • Garlic
  • Chilli Flakes

There are lots of variations and editions out there. I like to also include:

  • Onion
  • Tomato Puree (paste if you’re in the USA)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Fresh Basil

📺 Watch how to make it

Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

👩‍🍳PRO TIP This is a low & slow dish. Cook the onions slowly, then simmer the tomatoes nice and slowly for a thick, rich tomato pasta sauce.

Overhead image of a silver pan filled with arrabbiata sauce on a light background. There is a wooden spoon and sprinkled fresh basil leaves in the sauce. There are basil leaves, garlic cloves and a jar of chilli flakes around the pan.

🍽️ What to serve it with


Tagliatelle in Arrabbiata sauce on a white plate on a light background. There is a gold fork and spoon on the plate and the pasta is sprinkled with parmesan, black pepper and basil leaves.
Why use extra-virgin olive oil in Arrabbiata sauce?

Aside from the health benefits and traditional use of it in Arrabbiata sauce, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a smooth, grassy, almost peppery flavour. The onions in arrabbiata are cooked slowly (sweated) in the EVOO to take on that extra flavour, which adds to the overall rich, smooth, flavour of the sauce.

Why use San Marzano tomatoes in Arrabbiata sauce?

San Marzano tomatoes are the gold standard for Arrabbiata sauce. They have a thicker flesh, less seeds, they’re less watery, less acidic and they’re sweeter than regular tinned tomatoes.


Close up image of a silver pan filled with arrabbiata sauce on a light background. There is a wooden spoon and sprinkled fresh basil leaves in the sauce.

🍲 More recipes using tinned tomatoes

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5 from 5 votes

Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe

Everyone needs a rich, delicious and simple pasta sauce recipe in their back pocket. I believe Arrabbiata is that sauce.A few simple ingredients and a bit of simmering time and you have a flavourful, versatile sauce with a beautiful spicy kick.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 – 6 servings
Course: Sauces
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small onion peeled and finely diced
  • 4 fat cloves of garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes) add more if you like it really spicy
  • 4 x 400 g (4 x 14oz) cans San Marzano tomatoes *see note 1
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste for USA)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • a good handful (about 10g) of fresh basil leaves roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried basil)
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Instructions 

  • Add the oil to a large saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat.
    3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Add the chopped onions to the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are very soft (they shouldn’t be browned though).
    1 small onion
  • Add the garlic and chill flakes and cook for a further 2 minutes.
    4 fat cloves of garlic, 1 tsp chilli flakes (red pepper flakes)
  • Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, salt, and pepper and stir together.
    4 x 400 g (4 x 14oz) cans San Marzano tomatoes, 1 tbsp tomato puree (paste for USA), ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper
  • Turn up the heat to medium and bring to a gentle simmer. Then turn down the heat and simmer gently for 45-50 minutes, until thickened. Stir occasionally and break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as you stir.
  • Stir in the basil and give the sauce a taste. Add a little more salt and pepper if you like.
    a good handful (about 10g) of fresh basil leaves
  • Serve with fresh pasta, cooked gnocchi or ravioli. I love to sprinkle on some basil leaves, black pepper, and parmesan when serving.

Video

Notes

*Note 1 – San Marzano Tomatoes
San Marzano tomatoes are the absolute best for Arrabbiata. They have a thicker flesh, less seeds, they’re less watery, less acidic and they’re sweeter than regular tinned tomatoes.
I buy mine at deli shops or online from Sous chef. I’ve seen them in Waitrose too. They’ll say ‘San Marzano DOP’ or ‘San Marzano PDO’ on the label – so you know they’re the right ones.
*PDO = Protected designation of origin
*DOP =Denominazione d’Origine Protetta (which means Protected designation of origin)
If you can’t get hold of them, you can use other good quality tinned whole tomatoes + 1/4 tsp of sugar per 400g/7oz tin.
Secret Tip: I found Sainsbury’s Italian plum tomatoes were actually very close in taste (when doing a blind raw taste test at home). I didn’t need the extra sugar when using that brand (I wasn’t paid by them to say that, it’s purely my opinion).
Can I make it ahead?
Yes, you can make ahead, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot – about 6-8 minutes.
Can I freeze Arrabbiata?
Yes, cool, pour into a freezer-proof container and seal with a lid. Then freeze.
Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat as per the reheat instructions above.
How to scale up or down
Double or halve the recipe using the same ingredient ratios.
  • If doubling you will need to simmer for 10 minutes longer.
  • If halving, you will need to simmer for 10 minutes less.
Nutritional information is per serving, based on this recipe making 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 514IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I'm Nicky and I love to cook! I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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Comments

  1. Mandy longshaw says:

    5 stars
    Can I cook this in a slow cooker?

  2. Judy Gamboa says:

    5 stars
    Best sauce I have ever made or eaten. Tried the recipe 3 months ago and have made it 4 times since. Just love it! Thank you so much!

  3. Nina says:

    5 stars
    Hi thanks for the fabulous recipe…I am going to be batch cooking the sauce and freezing it into portions for my Son. If he forgets to remove from the freezer the night before (like they do 🙄) Could you gently re heat it from frozen in a saucepan? Thanks.

  4. Linda M. Jardee says:

    Can I use tomato puree instead of whole tomatoes? Also I’m hearing A LOT lately that dried basil (which is what I always used for my homemade marinaras) makes for a more bitter sauce & fresh is better. Your thoughts on that & thanks!

  5. Alana McGurgan says:

    5 stars
    Just mafe it & had a taster oh really lovely & even better as I don’t eat meat or chicken.
    I will add salmon to what left for another day ❤

  6. Hilary Morgan says:

    5 stars
    Cannot wait to try this but sounds delicious. Given 5 stars just on that basis. I will let you know how it taste.