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.
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 TomatoesSan 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 downDouble 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.