Pasta Arrabbiata
Arrabbiata means “angry” in Italian, and this one earns the name with a proper hit of chilli running through a rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce.
Starting the garlic in a cold pan and keeping the heat gentle is what infuses the oil with flavour without any risk of it turning bitter. It’s a small step but it sets the tone for the whole sauce.
Just a handful of ingredients, but the full 20-minute simmer is what takes it from a basic tomato sauce to something with real depth. Ready in 30 minutes, start to finish.
Pasta Arrabbiata
PASTA · DINNER · EASY
Simple ingredients, real depth of flavour
Keeping the garlic gentle while it infuses the oil is what this whole dish is built on. Browned or burnt garlic here will turn the entire sauce bitter, so patience matters.
Letting the sauce simmer uncovered for the full 20 minutes cooks out the raw tomato taste and reduces it down to something rich and clingy, rather than thin and watery.
Adding the pasta straight from the water with a bit of starch still clinging to it helps the sauce grip every strand properly, instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Pasta Arrabbiata
Ingredients
- 60 ml Olive Oil
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 3 g Dried Chilli Flakes
- 800 g Diced Tomatoes Canned
- Pinch of Sugar Optional
- 500 g Spaghetti
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Parmesan Cheese Grated
- Fresh Basil Torn
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Drizzle To Finish
Method
- In a large pan, add the oil and garlic while the pan is still cold. Place over medium heat and sauté for 1 to 1½ minutes to infuse the oil. Don't brown the garlic.
- Add the chilli flakes and tinned tomatoes, increase the heat to high, and season to taste. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Add a small pinch of sugar (if using) to balance the acidity. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions.
- Add the pasta into the sauce straight from the water, reserving some pasta water. Mix the pasta into the sauce, check for seasoning, and add reserved pasta water if you wish to thin the sauce down.
- Serve in bowls, grate over parmesan, add on basil leaves, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
