Simple Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata

plate of spicy spaghetti arrabbiata garnished with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes

Spice up your dinner routine with this Simple Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata – where from-scratch arrabbiata sauce meets comforting noodles for a flavor-packed feast. If you’re looking for a weeknight dinner champion, this is it! It’s on the table in just 30 minutes, making it the reliable solution for those hectic evenings. And the finest part? It caters to nearly everyone’s dietary needs – it’s plant-based, meat-free, dairy-free, and vegan-friendly. Get ready to dive into a bowl of spicy, saucy goodness!

What Is Arrabbiata Sauce?

Spelled either arrabbiata or arrabiata, this recipe is a classic Italian dish that originated in Rome, Italy. When translated, arrabbiata means “angry” and is given the name due to all of the heat from the peppers!

Today, there are many different variations of the dish. However, classic recipes used olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, and red chilis. For our version, we added shallots, herbs, and a little extra canned tomato sauce for even more flavor! No matter how you make this recipe, it can be used in a wide variety of ways and always tastes great!

What’s the Difference Between Arrabbiata and Marinara Sauce?

Similar in ingredients, taste, and texture, both arrabbiata and marinara are tasty! However, they’re not quite the same. They both start with a base of garlic, tomatoes, and herbs, but marinara lacks the peppers found in arrabbiata sauce. As a result, it has a much sweeter flavor.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Pasta – Spaghetti is our go-to. Use gluten-free noodles, if needed!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – This helps add a more robust flavor and healthy fats to keep you full.
Garlic and Shallots – The combination of garlic and shallots allows for a blend of garlicky, oniony flavors that pair perfectly.
Chili Peppers – Be sure to deseed your peppers unless you want your arrabbiata HOT!
Cherry Tomatoes – The flavor of cherry tomatoes is more concentrated than other tomato varieties because of their size. As a result, they create a bold taste that forms the base of this sauce.
Tomato Sauce – Not exactly traditional, we add just a touch of tomato sauce for a more liquid-like arrabbiata that’s reliable for coating pasta.
Herbs and Spices – We used sea salt, crushed red peppers, oregano, thyme, and basil, but feel free to experiment with your own additions.

How to Make Simple Spicy Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Here’s the lowdown on how we whip up this tantalizing Spaghetti Arrabbiata! But don’t forget to check out the full recipe card below for the full details.

Sauté the olive oil, garlic, red chili peppers, shallots, crushed red pepper, oregano, and thyme for 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sauce, and salt.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer for 20-25 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the spaghetti to al dente.
Puree the sauce with an immersion blender.
Pour the sauce and cooked spaghetti back into the sauce pot. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water, and toss to combine.
Enjoy!

More Ways to Use Arrabbiata Sauce

Arrabbiata isn’t just for pasta! Here are some of our absolute go-to ways to unleash its saucy goodness:

With Pasta. Clearly, spaghetti is our go-to, but this sauce works with all shapes and sizes!

As A Dipping Sauce. Dip and dunk all your go-to items like cheese bread, mozzarella sticks, and pita.

With Pizza! Use it as a base for a from-scratch pizza with a kick of spice.

Smothered On Meatballs. Toss it together with your go-to meatballs, and let it simmer in a crock pot.

With Eggplants. We love to pour our arrabbiata sauce over sliced eggplants! Then, cover it with cheese, and bake it in the oven for an simple vegetarian dinner.

Common Questions about Spaghetti Arrabbiata

What makes arrabbiata sauce spicy?

Our arrabbiata sauce gets its heat from red chili peppers and red pepper flakes. They both give it a nice kick spicy flavor!

What ingredients are in arrabbiata sauce?

Typically, arrabbiata sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, and red pepper flakes. Some versions also include herbs like oregano, thyme, and basil.

What kind of pasta is finest for arrabbiata?

Spaghetti is the traditional pasta for this dish, but you can also use other long pasta shapes like linguine or fettuccine. You can also use shorter noodles like penne or rigatoni which hold on to the tasty sauce, too!

Is arrabbiata sauce spicy for kids?

It depends on the child! You can always adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to make it less spicy.

More Spaghetti Recipes You’ll Love

Although it’s not exactly authentic, this Oven Baked Spaghetti went viral for a reason and is definitely here to stay!
This One Pot Greek Spaghetti tastes like you took a trip to Greece.
A reliable combination of everyone’s go-to comfort foods, this Spaghetti Pizza Bake will become your new go-to weeknight dinner!
Rich, silky, and indulgent, this One Pot Spaghetti Carbonara is a dinner that tastes like it took all day but is ready in 30 minutes.

the Ayyem kitchenServings: 6 servings

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins

Jazz up your weeknight dinner with this from-scratch spicy and garlicky arrabbiata sauce paired with comforting spaghetti noodles for a meal everyone will love! Email

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
15 cloves peeled garlic
2 red chili peppers seeded and chopped (optional)
3 peeled and sliced shallots
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
32 ounces cherry tomatoes
4 ounces tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon sea salt
16 ounces spaghetti uncooked
fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

In a large deep pot on medium-high heat add olive oil, garlic, red chili peppers, shallots, crushed red pepper, oregano, and thyme. Sautè for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 15 cloves peeled garlic, 3 peeled and sliced shallots, 2 red chili peppers, 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Add cherry tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until reduced by 1/3rd. Be sure to stir occasionally.32 ounces cherry tomatoes, 4 ounces tomato sauce, 1 Tablespoon sea salt
While the sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti al-dente according to package instructions. You want the spaghetti to be very al-dente (see note) Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain the rest and set aside.16 ounces spaghetti
With an immersion blender purèe the sauce. If you do not have an immersion blender, carefully pour the mixture into a blender and pulse a few times until the sauce is smooth.
Pour the sauce back into the pot, add cooked spaghetti. Gradually add the reserved pasta water until the pasta is just the right consistency. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired. fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

2 Large Pots

1 Immersion Blender

Notes

Notes Cook the pasta until very al-dente. The spaghetti will continue to cook in the sauce. You want the spaghetti to soak up as much of the sauce by continuing to cook in the arrabbiata sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings.