Ingredients
Tomato, garlic, olive oil and chilli form the classic base. The chilli should sharpen the sauce without overwhelming the tomato.
Italian cooking · spicy tomato sauce
Arrabbiata Sauce
A deliberately simple Italian sauce built around tomato, garlic, olive oil and chilli. Its character comes from balance rather than complexity.
The correct Italian spelling is “arrabbiata”, with double b. “Arrabiata” and “arabiata” are common search variants, but they are not the standard Italian spelling.
In breve
What is arrabbiata sauce?
Arrabbiata is a Roman-style tomato sauce made with garlic, olive oil and chilli. The Italian name literally means “angry”, referring to its lively heat.
Spelling
Arrabbiata is the correct Italian spelling. Arrabiata and arabiata are frequent search variants, but not the standard Italian form.
Heat level
A good arrabbiata should clearly taste spicy while keeping the tomato’s sweetness and acidity in balance.
Which pasta?
Penne all’arrabbiata is the best-known Roman pairing, although the sauce also works with other pasta shapes.
The logic of homemade arrabbiata
- Gently flavour the olive oil with garlic without burning it.
- Add chilli according to the heat level you want.
- Add tomato and simmer until concentrated.
- Finish the pasta in the sauce, adding a little pasta water if needed.
Reference sources
For the linguistic, historical and culinary points on this page, we rely on established Italian sources.
FAQ
What does “arrabbiata” mean?
In Italian it literally means “angry”, a reference to the lively heat of chilli.
Arrabbiata or arrabiata?
Arrabbiata, with double b, is the correct Italian spelling.
What are the traditional ingredients?
Tomato, garlic, olive oil and chilli.
Which pasta is traditionally used?
Penne are the best-known traditional pairing.