Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Dinner Tonight: Arrabbiata sauce

Though dried chiles or crushed red pepper are traditional, feel free to experiment with what you've got and what you like.
Dinner Tonight

April 30, 2025

Arrabbiata Sauce

Arrabbiata Sauce
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Recipe by Alexa Weibel | Total time: 30 minutes

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. 

View this recipe →

Find more fast and delicious dinner recipes in our Weeknight 100.

Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up for Dinner Tonight here.

Save and organize your go-to dinner recipes with the New York Times Cooking app. Try the app today.

If you like the work we do at New York Times Cooking, please subscribe! Reach out to cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have any questions about your account.

Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance.

You received this email because you signed up for Dinner Tonight from The New York Times.

To stop receiving Dinner Tonight, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request.

Subscribe to NYT Cooking

Connect with us on:

facebookxinstagramwhatsapp

Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices

LiveIntent LogoAdChoices Logo

The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

Share: