Arrabbiata Sauce (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
Turn up the spice on your pasta with this tomato sauce with a kick.
Before the Garth’s Brooks concert at Caesar’s Palance, my husband and I developed a love affair with the tomato sauce that was embedded through each course of our meal at Amalfi. It was tomato sauce at its finest–full of concentrated tomato flavor, but also light and bright at the same time. I came home from that trip with a heart full of memories from one of the best Garth Brook’s show I’ve ever seen in my life, and my head thinking about how I can recreate the Arrabbiata that was served with the Arancini. A mission I was determined to complete.
The reality is, that a good tomato sauce is simple in ingredients, but complex in flavor. I knew the recipe needed to start with quality tomatoes, which meant true San Marzano’s. My two-year stint with an organic canned tomato brand uncovered A LOT about the tomato industry. Enough for me to become a self-proclaimed advocate for not just the good ‘ol quality homegrown tomato, but vouch for the quality of organic canned tomatoes. That could be a whole story itself…so I’ll save it for another time.
You don’t need much for this recipe. My only tip to you is to double or triple the batch so you can freeze in smaller portions to have ready for lazy-day meals.
Let’s get cookin’.
How to Make Arrabbiata Sauce
Start by dicing your onion and mince 4 cloves of garlic (you can always opt to use garlic powder).
To a blender, add the two cans of tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Blend until the mixture is smooth (if you prefer a chunkier sauce, then blend to your liking, or use an immersion blender later on to blend). Set the tomato and pepper mixture aside.
Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil to the pan (I like avocado oil, but olive oil will also work). Once the oil starts to ripple or shimmer, toss in your diced onions and sauté them 5-6 minutes until they’re translucent. Then add the garlic. Sprinkle with the salt.
To the dutch oven, add the tomato and red pepper mixture. Turn up the heat and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it reaches a simmer, stir in the oregano, parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat down to low and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve alongside Arancini, on top of pizza, or mixed with your pasta of choice.
Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe
Yield: 8 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Total Time: 35-45 minutes
Servings: 10
Serving Size: 3/4 cup
Calories per serving: 46.5 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate.
Ingredients
1 tbsp avocado oil
2-28 oz cans of Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3/4 c onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c roasted red peppers
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tbsp parsley
2 tbsp basil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
Instructions
Dice onion and mince garlic cloves.
In a blender, add the two cans of tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Blend until smooth.
In a large dutch oven, heat a pan over medium heat. Add oil.
When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onions and sauté for 5-6 minutes until they are translucent.
Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add the tomato and roasted red pepper mixture.
Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Stir in the oregano, parsley, and basil.
Continue to cook for 10-15 minutes.
Turn the heat to low and stir in black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Add salt to taste.
Serve with your favorite pasta, on top of a pizza, or with an order of Arancini.
Store in an airtight container in the refriderator. Keeps fresh 3-4 days. You can also freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months.
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