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As I post this Arrabiata recipe today, I’m reminded that I’ve already posted a similar recipe twice already.
So, that’s three different spicy pasta sauce recipes for your choosing. One, two, three. Clearly this is a favorite dish in our home. So good, in fact, that I forgot I’ve already shared something similar with you– twice before.
Does it matter? Not really. Because this version of an Arrabiata sauce is slightly different and just as delicious. It’s the perfect weekend dinner, which is why I’m sending it out to you today. I’m fairly certain you’ve already got all of the ingredients in your pantry already (perhaps minus the fresh basil), so you’re 99% of the way there. Make this one soon.
Here’s the secret to this Arrabiata sauce, a trick I learned from Katie of Katie’s Pizza and Pasta here in St. Louis (one of my favorite restaurants if you’re looking for good STL eats.) Sauce the garlic and crushed red pepper in both olive oil and butter.
The butter (a vegan version works!) offers more complex flavor than the olive oil, while helping to emulsify the crushed tomatoes into a sauce. Cooking the red pepper flakes in this fatty goodness helps impart spice throughout the entire dish.
Then, you’ll add whole tomatoes that you’ll crush with the back of a wooden spoon as the sauce cooks. It’s really important to use good tomatoes here. Spend the extra dollar, it’s worth it. I made this dish with generic tomatoes and then made it again with the good stuff (you know the kind, the $2-3 can of whole tomatoes) and it was so much better than the first version.
I know this to be true when I make my homemade red sauce, so why did I think it would be any different with whole tomatoes?
Add the tomatoes to the pepper mixture then slowly cook, crushing the tomatoes to make a chunky sauce. If you’re using the good tomatoes, they should mash fairly easily, but you might have to remove any tough stem ends with your hands. This is especially true if you opt for the generic tomatoes.
Then, add in the basil leaves and cooked pasta. Drizzle in a little of the reserved pasta cooking water to allow the sauce to really stick to the pasta. Add cheese, if desired, and serve.
Here’s the question you will end up asking yourself: how can something so simple, be so good? And, that’s really the beauty of most pasta dishes. They take minimal effort to prepare, with dynamite flavor. Perhaps that’s why we enjoy a bowl at least once a week.
P.S.- Have you entered the Dreamfields contest that I shared with you earlier this week? Head here to enter to win amazing prizes, like a $1000 gift card, a year of pasta, an Apple watch and more.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
PrintSpicy Arrabiata Sauce! If you like heat then you’ve gotta try this healthy pasta sauce. Homemade tomato sauce with crushed red pepper and lots of garlic. Delicious and healthy!
Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge
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We have a TON of homegrown tomatoes from our garden. Can we swap the canned tomatoes for fresh? If so, should I make any other adjustments to the recipe?
You should be able too— though you may need to thicken the sauce with a little tomato sauce. When I make my fresh tomato sauce– that’s what I do (recipe here: https://www.delishknowledge.com/simple-fresh-tomato-sauce/) I usually don’t remove the skin when I make that sauce, but if you want a smoother sauce then I’d recommend shocking the tomatoes and removing the skin first.
Amazing recipe! I had this dish for the first time in Italy and I was thus inspired to try this recipe and it is honestly so yum!
★★★★★
I made this for dinner last night, and I couldn’t stop dipping my crusty bread in that sauce. Such great spice. I’ll be making this again.
★★★★★
Thanks for recipe, is it possible to make ahead and freeze?
Hi Susanna, yes you can make ahead and freeze. Shouldn’t be an issue.
How many does it serve?
Four!
Hey Alex! Is it necessary to use canned tomatoes? Or will fresh tomatoes work as well in place of the canned ones?
Hi Artemis- fresh tomatoes should work, though you will likely need to cook it longer. Let me know how it works out!
This recipe is amazing! Everything in it utilizes ingredients we always have at home (I used dried basil rather than fresh, but it tasted just as good) and it was super easy to make. I added some slicked andouille sausage (I wanted to go with Italian sausage, but the grocery store in my small town has limited options) and it tasted great with the hearty, spicy sauce. My boyfriend had three helpings! I definitely plan on making this again soon.
★★★★★
So glad you like it! Thanks Laura!
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