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This arrabiata sauce is like a marinara sauce with a kick of heat. Arrabiata is Italian for angry. Typically, you make the sauce angry (aka spicy) by adding red pepper flakes. However, I subbed the pepper flakes for my homemade Calabrian chili pepper paste. It adds a nice amount of spice and some depth of flavor.

Any great tomato based sauce starts with quality tomatoes. For me, that means San Marzano tomatoes. These are a staple in my home so I always have several cans in the pantry. Before you begin the cooking process you will need to crush the whole tomatoes. The best way to do so is by using your hands. Place the canned tomatoes in a large bowl and use your hands to crush the tomatoes. It’s ok if there are small chunks left as it will add texture to your sauce.

After you have prepped the tomatoes, you’ll let the slow simmer of your stove do the rest of the work. You will sauté minced (smaller than a dice) onions in a pot with olive oil. Next you’ll toss in minced garlic and the chili pepper paste. You don’t want to sauté them long (30 seconds) otherwise they will start to burn. From there you’ll add in your tomatoes, a bay leaf, and butter. Yes, butter! The butter will mellow out the acidity and give the the sauce a velvety texture.

Let the sauce simmer on low for about an hour, but make sure you stir the sauce occasionally. Lastly, you’ll remove the sauce from the heat and add in hand torn basil leaves. Season with salt to taste. You can use this sauce in place of a traditional marinara. I personally love it with bucatini. This sauce definitely fuels my obsession with Calabrian chili peppers.

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and post on Instagram. Make sure to tag @blasianbonvivant and use hashtag #bbvrecipe.

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5 from 1 vote

Arrabiata Sauce with Calabrian Chili Peppers

Spicy tomato based sauce with Calabrian chili pepper paste

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: arrabiata sauce, tomato sauce

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 56 oz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes
• 6 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 medium yellow onion minced
• 2 tbsp Calabrian chili pepper paste more for increased heat
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 bay leaf
• 15-20 basil leaves torn
• salt to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl crush the San Marzano tomatoes with your hands.
• In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions until translucent.
• Add garlic and Calabrian chili pepper paste to the pan. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
• Transfer tomatoes to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaf and butter. Partially cover with a lid, simmer over low heat for approximately an hour, and stir often.
• Remove from heat and stir in town basil leaves. Season with salt to taste.
• Serve with your favorite pasta or in place of a traditional marinara sauce.