Arrabbiata Pasta is a traditional Italian dish made with al dente pasta tossed in a spicy tomato sauce of garlic, olive oil, and red chili peppers. My version includes a homemade arrabbiata sauce made with tomato puree, red chili flakes, fragrant garlic, and fresh basil. This zesty tomato sauce is tossed with tender fusilli pasta for a quick and satisfying dinner, ready in just 30 minutes.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian, World

Ingredients

  • 2 cups or (175 grams) fusilli pasta (- can add penne or rigatoni)
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or add as required)
  • 2 cups or (220 grams or 2 large) tomatoes (- chopped or 1 cup tomato purée)
  • 1 teaspoon or (5 grams) garlic (- finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons chilli flakes (or add as required, swap with ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano (or add as required)
  • 1 tablespoon or (3 to 4) basil leaves (- chopped or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder ((ground black pepper), add as required)
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar (- optional)
  • ¼ cup water (- optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese ((vegetarian) or choice of cheese - optional)

Method

Cooking pasta

  1. Heat water together with salt in a pot. Bring the water to a boil.
  2. Add the fusilli pasta. Opt for penne pasta or rigatoni if you do not have fusilli pasta.
  3. On a medium to high heat, cook until the pasta is al dente or cook until softened, based on your preference.
  4. In a colander or strainer, strain the pasta and set aside.

Making arrabbiata sauce

  1. Peel and roughly chop tomatoes. Transfer them to a blender or a food chopper or processor.
  2. Without adding any water, blend or process to a smooth puree. Set aside.
  3. Heat olive oil in a pan or skillet. Add finely chopped garlic. Sauté garlic for some seconds.
  4. Add the crushed red chili flakes and mix with the oil and garlic. You can reduce or increase the quantity of red chili flakes as needed. Instead or red chili flakes, you can also add ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne.
  5. Next, add the tomato puree. Add salt as per taste and mix well. Cover the pan with its lid.
  6. On a low heat simmer the arrabbiata sauce for 10 to 12 minutes until the raw flavor and taste of tomatoes goes away. Add some water (about ¼ cup) if the tomato puree starts sticking to the pan.
  7. When you see some oil specks on the sauce, this means that the arrabbiata sauce is cooked.
  8. Add dried oregano, ground black pepper. You can also add ¼ teaspoon sugar. If the tomatoes are too tangy, then only add sugar. Mix again. You can add sugar as needed depending on the tanginess of tomatoes.

Making arrabbiata pasta

  1. Add the cooked pasta and mix very well, so that the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
  2. Switch off the heat and add 1 teaspoon chopped basil leaves. Gently mix again.

Serving suggestions

  1. Serve Arrabbiata Pasta in a bowl or a deep dish garnished with grated vegetarian parmesan cheese and a few basil sprigs. You can top with your preferred cheese if you do not have parmesan cheese.
  2. Enjoy spicy arrabbiata pasta with cheese garlic bread or a simple garlic bread. It is also great to serve with a refreshing salad or a soup by the side.

Storage and Leftovers

  1. It’s best to store the sauce by itself in the fridge, and I personally like to make fresh pasta each time. However, the combined pasta with sauce is also quite delicious to enjoy as leftovers.
  2. Let the sauce and/or pasta cool completely before putting in an airtight container, and keep in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.