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A bowl of rigatoni with arrabbiata sauce topped with fresh basil.
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Rigatoni Arrabbiata Sauce

This Rigatoni Arrabbiata is a fiery and flavorful pasta dish, ready in just 35 minutes! Rigatoni topped with deliciously spicy arrabbiata sauce is perfect paired with your favorite protein or a ball of burrata for a quick and easy dinner.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian, Italian-American
Keyword pasta sauce, red sauce, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 328kcal
Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

  • Large stainless steel saucepan or enameled dutch oven
  • Large pot for boiling pasta
  • Potato masher

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion finely diced, about 1 small onion
  • 4 fresh large garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoons Calabrian chiles
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ cup dry white wine like sauvignon blanc
  • 28 ounces whole peeled or crushed tomatoes 1 large can
  • Fresh basil or parsley for topping
  • ½ pound dried rigatoni pasta
  • parmesan cheese or burrata optional for topping

Instructions

  • PREP: Chop onion and mince garlic. Measure out other ingredients.
  • SAUTÉ: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat for a minute. Add onions with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and slightly caramelizing on the edges. Add in garlic and calabrian chiles and sauté for another minute until fragrant while stirring.
  • CARAMELIZE: Add tomato paste and cook for a minute or two while stirring, allowing it to caramelize and darken in color.
  • DEGLAZE: Add in white wine to deglaze and stir, scraping up any fond (brown bits) that has formed on the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes, until alcohol has burned off.
  • CRUSH: Add in tomatoes and stir. Crush tomatoes with a potato masher to desired consistency. If you want a smoother sauce, puree with an immersion blender. If mixture looks too thick, add a splash of water.
  • SIMMER: Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Option to add fresh basil while simmering.
  • BOIL: While the sauce is simmering, set a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve about ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
  • FINISH: If sauce is too thin, remove cover and simmer for a few more minutes to reduce. Taste the sauce and season with salt and black pepper as needed. Add cooked pasta to the finished sauce with a splash of pasta water and toss to combine.
  • SERVE: Top with fresh parsley or basil. Option to also add freshly grated parmesan, or serve with a ball of burrata topped with flakey sea salt.

Notes

  • Use quality ingredients. When you start with the best and fresh ingredients, the final dish will always taste better. Especially use quality tomatoes since they are the main ingredient. 
  • Use the right cookware. It’s not recommended to cook tomato based sauces in cast iron, so stick to a stainless steel saucepan like this All Clad Stockpot or enameled cast iron for making this sauce. 
  • Turn up the heat. Adjust the spice levels to your liking by adding more or less calabrian chiles.If you want it extra spicy, sauté the onions and garlic using oil from the calabrian chile jar.  Substitute 2 teaspoons calabrian chiles for ½ teaspoon red chili flakes.
  • Balance it. If you find your sauce to be too acidic, add a pinch of sugar.
  • Make a double batch. This recipe makes enough sauce for about 4 servings, but I love to double it so I have some to freeze for later.
  • How to store leftovers: Store leftover sauce separately from pasta if possible. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • How to freeze: Store sauce in a freezer safe container in the freezer for up to 6 months. Do not freeze pasta. I like to add 2 servings in a quart size plastic or silicone bag, then freeze flat. Once frozen, stand up the bags for easier storage.
  • How to reheat: Reheat sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until all warm. To reheat from frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat. 

Nutrition

Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 354mg | Potassium: 680mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 379IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 3mg