Find a Recipe!

Just a Little Bit of Bacon

where comfort food meets the farm stand

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • beverages
    • desserts
    • grilling and bbq
    • main courses
    • quick dinners
    • side dishes
    • soups and stews
  • mediterranean recipes
    • italian recipes
      • italian comfort food
      • italian antipasti
      • fundamentals of italian cooking
    • spanish recipes
      • spanish tapas
    • french recipes
      • french comfort food
    • greek recipes
  • holiday favorites
    • christmas
    • easter dinner
    • thanksgiving feast
  • resources
    • dinner and party menus
    • farmers’ market
      • ingredient spotlight
    • roundup post
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Spicy Italian Arrabbiata Sauce

March 28, 2017 By justalittlebitofbacon 5 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. Click here for details.

  • Share
  • Tweet

Italian Arrabbiata sauce is a great, easy and quick, classic sauce which should be in everyone’s back pocket! Make it with dried pasta and you’ll have dinner on the table in 20 minutes with no problems. Make it with fresh pasta and you have a sauce which is perfectly calibrated to use up the energy you have left after all the rolling and cutting. Either way, you are going to have a wonderful meal, very Italian in its simplicity and balance.

This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

You can connect with me by subscribing to my emails (see the form in the sidebar or below the recipe card), liking my FACEBOOK page, or by following me on PINTEREST.

I’ll admit it right now. My arrabbiata pasta sauce tends to be more mildly annoyed than angry. When I was going through Marc Vetri’s Mastering Pasta cookbook and decided on his Maltagliati All’Arrabbiata sauce, I thought I’d start with half of the red pepper flakes. My motto is it is easier to add more than it is to take it out. 🙂

And, though both husband and daughter do enjoy spice, they were united in declaring the pasta quite spicy enough. Though is from a daughter who, in recent memory, cheerfully ate an entire plate of pasta with white clam sauce which tasted as though the chef had tripped and spilled the red pepper flakes over her plate. Yes, she had lots of milk alongside. No, she didn’t want to send it back.

So, how angry (or annoyed) you are on any particular day might vary! Start with the lower amount and work your way up until your pasta is an angry as makes you happy.

This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Other than the pepper flakes, there are a couple of bits of advice that I have to make the best sauce you can.

  1. Crush the tomatoes with your hand as you add them to the pan. Pureeing is too smooth and breaking them up with the side of the spoon is too chunky. Hand crushed is just right.
  2. Do not forget to scoop out some pasta water! The starchy water is very important in making a sauce which is full of body and clings to your pasta. Always marry your pasta and your sauce.

With that I’ll send you off to the recipe! It is a simple sauce, but a great sauce and well worth making.

– Stay Saucy, Annemarie

This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
Print Recipe
4.5 from 2 votes

Spicy Italian Arrabbiata Sauce

This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 220kcal
Author: Just a Little Bit of Bacon

Ingredients

  • 16 oz pasta, such as penne or broken up lasagna noodles
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, with more for serving
  • kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta. Once your water begins boiling, add a good spoonful of kosher salt and cook the pasta. Dip into the pasta water with a coffee cup and take out about a cup of water.
  • Heat the olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn or over brown the garlic. (A little golden is okay.) Add the tomatoes to the skillet, crushing the tomatoes in your hand as you add them. Bring the tomatoes to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook them down for 10 minutes.
  • Add the pasta, 1/2 cup of the pasta water, the red pepper flakes, and parsley to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently and vigorously, until the sauce reduces and begins to coat the pasta, about 1 minute, adding more pasta water if needed. Keep cooking for a few moments more and you'll see the pasta and sauce become one. Add salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes to taste.
  • Serve with grated parmesan and more parsley over the top.

Notes

  • I adapted (and altered a bit) this recipe from Mastering Pasta by Marc Vetri. This is a great book if you want to really get into making your own pasta and trying different sauces.
  • You can puree the tomatoes if you want a smooth sauce. For a chunky sauce with the tomatoes broken up just the right amount, using your hands is best. I've tried various methods and nothing beats breaking up the tomatoes as you add them.
  • I made the recipe using fresh pasta which I cut maltagliati style, which means cut into irregular rectangles and triangles. I liked them about 2 inches square. If you are using dried pasta, breaking up lasagna noodles into smaller pieces will produce a similar pasta shape.
  • If you are using dried pasta, begin cooking the pasta before you add the tomatoes to the sauce. However, if you are using fresh pasta, which will only take a couple of minutes, start cooking just before your tomatoes are done.
This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com
This 20 minute Italian arrabbiata sauce full of chunky tomatoes and red peppers is a simple recipe great for a quick, weeknight meal. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Save

Related Posts:

  • Quick Italian Meat SauceQuick Italian Meat Sauce
  • Pappardelle Pasta with Pancetta and BurrataPappardelle Pasta with Pancetta and Burrata
  • How to Make Fresh Egg Pasta Dough - A Step by Step GuideHow to Make Fresh Egg Pasta Dough - A Step by Step Guide
  • Lemon Ricotta Pasta with Fresh HerbsLemon Ricotta Pasta with Fresh Herbs
  • Simple and Quick Anchovy, Garlic, and Lemon PastaSimple and Quick Anchovy, Garlic, and Lemon Pasta
  • Penne Alla Vodka with Chicken and ChorizoPenne Alla Vodka with Chicken and Chorizo
  • Share
  • Tweet

Filed Under: 20 minute meals, italian recipes, main courses, quick dinners, recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian mains Tagged With: pasta, tomatoes

« Rhubarb Muffins with Cinnamon and Walnuts
Leftover Greek Lamb Moussaka »

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

Don’t miss a post!

Get new recipes in your inbox every week!

Disclosure:

Justalittlebitofbacon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Comments

  1. Belle S. says

    May 20, 2018 at 7:58 pm

    4 stars
    Overall excellent recipe. However, I learned to make Arabiata from an Italian Man at a local eatery while living in Germany. Arabiata is BY FAR at it’s absolute BEST when BACON is in it. Yes, cook the bacon nice and crispy. set it aside. Use about 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings with the olive oit to saute the garlic (and I use onion and basil too). Throw in the basil just before you add it to the sauce. I also chop up about 15 large, fresh tomatoes and boil them dwn with a drop of oil, salt & pepper. It gives a much fresher taste. Don’t skimp on the bacon, I would ue a pound for a recipe this size. Mix the bacon in the sauce after everything else goes in. I always make at least a quadruple batch. Servied it for a dinner party of 10 last night. HUGE hit, no one but my household had ever had it. Great for leftovers and it freezes well.

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      May 21, 2018 at 2:09 pm

      That does sound like a tasty version of arrabbiata! Though, since it’s more than a little of bacon in the recipe 😉 , I don’t think I would make it too often.

      Reply
  2. Marge Currier a.k.a. MOM says

    April 3, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Hi,

    This recipe looks easy enough! I will make it sometime after April 17. Have to make sure I have all the ingredients!

    Love,

    Marge a.k.a. MOM

    Reply
    • justalittlebitofbacon says

      April 4, 2017 at 12:11 am

      Thanks mom. 🙂 And why do I think you might want me to make it for you after we arrive on our visit?

      Reply
      • Marge Currier a.k.a. MOM says

        April 22, 2017 at 12:14 pm

        5 stars
        We loved it! Just the right amount of spice.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hello, I’m Annemarie

Welcome to my kitchen! I’m a Italian-American girl who loves fresh foods, local ingredients, and all sorts of comfort foods. Here you will find Mediterranean flavors and recipes from a New England perspective.

Don’t miss a post!

Sign up here to have new recipes delivered to your inbox every week.

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Christmas Magic

These gluten-free Italian pignoli cookies, adapted from Lidia Bastianich, are a great holiday cookie full of almonds and pine nuts! A great addition to a Christmas cookie tray. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Lidia’s Italian Pignoli Cookies

Simple, healthy, and easy! These roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic, parmesan, and pecans are the best ever and make a great side dish. Perfect for weeknights, holidays, and parties. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #sidedish #vegetables #brusselsprouts #holidayrecipe

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic, Parmesan, and Pecans

This easy to make ricotta cannoli dip is full of cinnamon and fresh ricotta and topped with chopped chocolate. Perfect for a party! All the yumminess of cannolis without the fuss and bother of making and filling cannoli shells. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Cinnamon Spiced Ricotta Cannoli Dip

Small holiday gathering or Sunday dinner? Try my easy cast iron roast chicken! Less than an hour in oven and you'll have browned skin and juicy meat. Try my recipe for easy cast iron roast chicken! Less than an hour in oven and you'll have browned skin and juicy meat with no fuss. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and more! | justalittlebitofbacon.com #roastchicken #castiron #easydinner #thanksgiving #christmas #easter #sundaydinner

Cast Iron Roast Chicken

Learn how to make a cosmopolitan martini, a classic drink which is both easy and delicious! Four ingredients (including cranberry juice and vodka) are all you need to be sipping this fun pink cocktail right now. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #cocktailrecipes #drinkrecipes #cosmopolitan #vodkacocktails #martinis #cranberryjuice

Perfect Cosmopolitan Martini Recipe

For a Christmas cookie sure to be the hit of the holiday party, you'll love my double chocolate peppermint cookies! Chocolate cookies are dipped in white and dark chocolate flavored with peppermint oil and topped with crushed candy canes. | justalittlebitofbacon.com #christmasrecipes #christmascookies #holidayrecipes #chocolaterecipes #peppermint #chocolate #cookies

Chocolate Peppermint Dipped Holiday Cookies

Reader Favorites

Deep fried Brussels sprouts served with a sweet and tangy sauce are a yummy snack, an addictive appetizer, and a fun Thanksgiving dish. Gluten free and simple to make! | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts

These gluten-free Italian pignoli cookies, adapted from Lidia Bastianich, are a great holiday cookie full of almonds and pine nuts! A great addition to a Christmas cookie tray. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Lidia’s Italian Pignoli Cookies

Love making artisan bread but want it to be quick and easy? This rosemary no knead bread bakes up like a dream in your dutch oven and only takes a few minutes of work. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Olive Oil and Rosemary No Knead Bread

Homemade buttermilk blue cheese dressing is creamy, chunky and simple to make! So much better than bottled dressing. Perfect for salads, wings, and vegetable platters.

Homemade Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Beer Braised Pulled Chicken Tacos - These tacos feature slow cooked chicken braised in beer and finished with adobo sauce all layered with spicy coleslaw and guacamole. | justalittlebitofbacon.com

Beer Braised Pulled Chicken Tacos

Thick cut cod is pan seared in a mixture of olive oil and butter to produce a golden brown crust and then served with a lemon, parsley, and caper sauce to make a simple and healthy weeknight meal.

Pan Seared Cod with a Caper, Parsley and Lemon Sauce

Copyright © 2021 — Just a Little Bit of Bacon • All rights reserved. Privacy Policy • Disclaimer

Genesis Framework • Foodie Pro Theme • by Shay Bocks