Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce

Turn your ordinary spaghetti night into something extraordinary with this bold and flavorful spicy arrabbiata sauce. Packed with heat and rich Italian flavors, it’s a recipe that’s sure to become a family favorite.

One of the best parts? This sauce freezes beautifully. Having it ready in the freezer means dinner is just minutes away on busy nights. You can easily double the recipe to feed a crowd or freeze it in smaller portions for quick, single-serve meals.

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Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 28 oz. San Marzano tomatoes
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper, or more if you like it spicier
• 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. parsley

Assembly Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a large freezer bag.
2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Thaw.
2. Empty freezer bag contents into a stovetop pot or skillet.
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, boil your choice of pasta according to directions.
6. Before draining, reserve one cup of pasta water.
7. Stir the reserved pasta water into the sauce and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
8. Serve over pasta.

How to Make This Recipe Gluten Free

To make this gluten-free, it can be served on gluten-free pasta or zucchini noodles.

How to Serve Arrabbiata Sauce

You can add a cooked protein of your choice to this recipe, like chicken, Italian meatballs, or shrimp. You could also use cooked lentils if you wish to keep it vegetarian but increase the protein. Add your cooked protein on the day of cooking as you assemble your dish.

Some tasty side dishes could include our freezer-friendly garlic bread and a fresh Caesar or caprese salad (tomato, basil, and mozzarella cheese with a balsamic glaze drizzle). For a heartier side dish, you could include roasted vegetables or some creamy polenta (ground cornmeal that is cooked until creamy and smooth).

For more recipe ideas like this one, check out our Garden Vegetable Pasta Sauce, Creamy Chorizo Pasta Sauce, or Chicken in Mango Cream Sauce Over Pasta.