Arrabbiata Sauce
Like marinara’s fiery cousin, this classic tomato sauce comes together in about 30 minutes with just canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and crushed red pepper. Arrabbiata, which means angry in Italian, nods to the sauce’s spicy nature, but the aggressiveness of your sauce is up to you: Start with 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper for a noticeable tingle in the back of your throat, or double up for additional intensity. (One word of caution: It’s hard to reverse a sauce that is too spicy, so start small, then hit it with additional heat at the end, if desired.) Though dried chiles or crushed red pepper are traditional, feel free to experiment with what you’ve got and what you like: Any combination of fiery elements in the form of dried chile flakes, dried whole chiles, fresh chiles, chopped jarred Calabrian chiles, chile sauce or chile pastes (gochujang, Sriracha) liven up this elemental tomato sauce.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 2 persons
Ingredients
- ¼cup olive oil
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 1to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
- 1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
- Salt
Instructions
Step 1
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper over medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic sizzles and just starts to take on color, about 2 minutes. (You don’t want it to crisp or darken, as the whole sauce may become bitter if the garlic overcooks.)Step 2
Add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing the whole tomatoes by hand as you add them, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, crushing the tomatoes with a spoon as you wait for it to start burbling.Step 3
Once the sauce is simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes taste more sweet than tangy.Step 4
Season to taste with salt. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.