• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Urban Farmie
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Resources
    • Gardening
    • Substitutes
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Vegetarian Pasta Recipes

    Published: November 23, 2022 | Last Modified: November 24, 2022 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - No Comments

    Rigatoni Arrabbiata

    Vegetarian Recipes
    Shares38Facebook16Pin22
    This rigatoni arrabbiata is a delicious, easy-to-make pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a quick weeknight meal that will change your life!
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    Italians are well known for their delicious cuisine, and one of my personal favorite dishes is Rigatoni Arrabbiata. This dish is simple to make, and the flavors are truly out of this world. If you're looking for a delicious meal that will leave you feeling satisfied, then look no further than Rigatoni Arrabbiata. Trust me, this dish is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. Give it a try today!

    Overhead view of rigatoni arrabbiata dish placed on a white plate and baking dish. 

    This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" link!

    This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on those and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    ⭐ Origin Story

    Arrabbiata comes from the Italian word "arrabbiare," which means "to anger." The sauce for rigatoni arrabbiata is made with crushed red chili peppers, which gives it a spicy kick! While exact ingredients and proportions vary by region, most arrabbiata sauces contain tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and crushed peppers. It does not contain basil or parmesan (so is naturally vegan).

    My version, on the other hand, is inspired by my neighborhood restaurant in Rome. So, I've used both parmesan and basil instead of parsley. I have notes in the recipe on how you can make it more authentic if you want to go that route. Enjoy!

    💭 Why you'll love this recipe

    Let's be honest, pasta is pretty much the best food ever. It's comforting and insanely easy to make. But this rigatoni arrabbiata is definitely the best!

    • Perfect balance of flavors. The tomatoes add a pop of sweetness, the garlic adds a lot of depth of flavor and the chili flakes give it just enough of a kick. Plus, there's always room for more cheese!
    • Super easy to make vegan: You'll need butter and parmesan to add rich creaminess to the tomato sauce, but you can use plant-based butter and vegan parmesan to make this recipe completely vegan!
    • It's budget-friendly. This dish requires a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, parmesan!
    • Super versatile. This arrabbiata sauce can also be used as a pizza topping or as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or other appetizers!

    📋 Ingredients and Notes

    To make rigatoni arrabbiata, you will need rigatoni pasta, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, whole peeled canned tomatoes, black pepper, salt, parmesan cheese, butter, and basil.

    Labeled ingredient list for rigatoni arrabbiata - check recipe card for details!

    Notes and Variations

    • Use high quality ingredients, as much as possible. This recipe only uses a few ingredients, so it's important to get high quality ingredients. For instance, this assumes use of whole peeled canned tomatoes, because tomatoes are highly seasonal and tomatoes are canned at the height of their taste. Using extra virgin olive oil will also help elevate the dish.
    • Use fresh tomatoes in the summer. I love using San Marzano tomatoes when I have a bountiful summer harvest! If you grow your own tomatoes, check out the best types of canning tomatoes to understand which ones work best for sauces! You can also use crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes in a pinch.
    • Substitute rigatoni. Rigatoni is a type of tubular pasta that has ridges along the length. Ridges help the sauce grip the pasta, resulting in a heartier, more flavorful dish. More ridges means higher surface-area-to-sauce ratio, but you can substitute with any short, tubular pasta like penne, ziti or cavatappi!
    • Adjust spice levels. Traditional Arrabbiata is a bit spicy, and meant to have a kick! You can reduce, exclude or increase the red pepper flakes from the recipe to adjust for your desired spice levels. You can also add fennel seeds to the sauce if you want a more flavorful variation of this dish.

    📖 How to make the best rigatoni Arrabbiata!

    Salt a large pot of water like the ocean! Cook the pasta following the box instructions but stop about 2 to 3 minutes short of the time (so for instance, if it says 10 minutes, cook for 7 to 8 minutes). Reserve some pasta cooking water for later (about half a cup). Set pasta and pasta water aside.

    Add the olive oil to a large skillet. Add minced garlic while the oil is still cold, when the garlic starts to sizzle, add red pepper flakes, and dried thyme. Fry on low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.

    Overhead view of oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and dried thyme on a large skillet. 

    Then add the can of peeled tomatoes and stir to medium heat for about 8 minutes until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. You can use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes a bit.

    Overhead view of peeled tomatoes stirred in a large skillet pan.

    Add the parmesan cheese, and stir to combine, for about 1 minute.

    Overhead view of crushed stirred tomatoes with parmesan cheese on top placed on a skillet pan.
    Overhead view of the tomatoes cooked down.

    Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to coat thoroughly. If the sauce looks too dry, you can add a bit of the pasta water. Cook for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking the pasta to al dente perfection.

    Overhead view of the cooked pasta combined in the cooked pasta sauce placed in the sauce.
    Overhead view of the pasta mixed in with the Arrabbiata sauce.

    Then, add the butter to the sauce. While this is optional, it results in a really silky texture for the sauce! Stir until just combined.

    Overhead view of the combined rigatoni arrabbiata with a cube of butter on top.

    Serve immediately with fresh basil, freshly grated parmesan cheese or even red pepper flakes on top and consume while hot!

    Note: The traditional version of this rigatoni arrabbiata recipe will use chopped parsley instead of fresh basil, and you can either skip or swap with vegan parmesan if you wish to make this vegan.

    Overhead view of rigatoni arrabbiata placed on a white baking dish with fresh parsley on top. 

    👩🏽‍🍳Top Tips to make Rigatoni Arrabbiata!

    This rigatoni arrabbiata is hearty, filling, and packed with flavor. Here are four tips to make the best rigatoni arrabbiata every time: 

    • Don't overcook the pasta. Rigatoni is thick, tubular noodles that are best-cooked al dente—meaning they should have a firm bite when you bite into them. Avoid overcooking to avoid mushy pasta. Aim for 11 minutes of cook time for perfectly cooked rigatoni!
    • Don't be afraid of the spice. The name of this dish literally means "angry," so it's no surprise that it packs a bit of a punch. But don't let that scare you off! The heat level can be easily adjusted to suit your taste by simply using more or less chili pepper flakes. 
    • Use less sauce than you think you need. It can be tempting to want to drench your pasta in sauce, but resist the urge. You want just enough sauce to coat the pasta without making the dish too wet or soupy. 
    • Let the dish sit for a few minutes before serving. Allowing the dish to sit for a few minutes gives all the flavors a chance to marry and develop, resulting in an even more delicious final product.

    👩🏽‍🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs

    What does arrabbiata taste like?

    Arrabbiata is a light marinara or red Italian sauce that gets its name from the Italian word for "angry." The sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and red chili peppers, which give it a slightly spicy flavor.

    What's the difference between arrabbiata and Pomodoro?

    Both Arrabbiata and Pomodoro are Italian sauces made with tomatoes, but there are a few key differences between the two. Arrabbiata has a spicier flavor compared to Pomodoro thanks to the addition of chili peppers. In terms of texture, and Arrabbiata is usually thinner than Pomodoro.

    Is arrabbiata the same as marinara?

    Marinara, similar to pomodoro and arrabbiata, also uses tomatoes as a base, but arrabbiata is spicier due to red chili peppers or flakes.

    🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

    The arrabbiata sauce for this dish can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days! Reheat in a pan before adding the cooked pasta. For the best experience, eat it hot! (I eat it straight from the pot).

    Store leftover cooked pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours. Then, heat it back up in a skillet with some olive oil and fresh basil and parmesan sprinkled on top. Serve and enjoy!

    In the mood for comforting pasta? Check out these other delicious recipes:

    • Authentic Cacio e Pepe
    • Broccoli Pesto Pasta
    • Spring Pasta with Peas and Oyster Mushrooms
    • Leek and Mushroom Pasta

    Did you make this recipe?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Please leave a comment and a star rating and let me know how it went! We love hearing from you, thank you so much

    Overhead view of rigatoni arrabbiata placed on a white plate with fresh parsley on top.
    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Rigatoni Arrabbiata

    This rigatoni arrabbiata is a delicious, easy-to-make pasta with fresh tomatoes, garlic and basil. Ready in just 30 minutes, it's a quick weeknight meal that will change your life!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Entree, Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 314kcal
    Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

    Equipment

    • 1 skillet or fry pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound rigatoni pasta
    • 2 tablespoon s olive oil
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ tablespoon s red pepper flakes
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 2 pounds canned peeled whole tomato
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese, substitute with vegan parmesan of choice
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons butter, optional, for finishing sauce
    • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Salt a large pot of water like the ocean! Cook the pasta following the box instructions but stop short of 2-3 minutes (packages typically list 10 to 15 minutes, so if it says 10 minutes, stop cooking at 7 minutes). Reserve some pasta water for later, about 1⁄2 cup. Set aside.
    • Add minced garlic while the oil is still cold, when the garlic starts to sizzle, add red pepper flakes, and dried thyme. Fry on low heat for about 2 minutes. Stir constantly so the garlic doesn’t burn.
    • Add a can of peeled whole tomatoes and stir on medium heat for about 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. You can use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes a bit (but not too much) to release the juices.
    • Add the parmesan cheese, and stir for about 1 minute. You can use vegan parmesan instead as well. Taste, and then add salt / black pepper to taste.
    • Add the pasta and butter to the sauce. Stir until just combined. If the sauce looks too dry, you can add a bit of the pasta water.
      Note: If you're going vegan, you can skip the butter step, or swap with plant-based butter.
    • Serve immediately with fresh basil!

    Notes

    • Salt the pasta water generously! It should taste briny. For 1 pound of rigatoni, I recommend 2 tablespoons of salt to 1 gallon of water.
    • I recommend cooking the pasta 2 to 3 minutes under package directions since you'll finish cooking the pasta in the sauce. If you cook to package directions, it might be too mushy! 
    • Arrabbiata literally means "angry pasta" so it's definitely got a kick to it. Make sure to adjust the spice levels to suit your taste. 
    • Rigatoni can be substituted with any short, tubular pasta (e.g., penne, shells, ziti, cavatappi, etc.) 
    • The traditional recipe calls for parsley, but I've used basil (mostly because the batch of parsley I had in my fridge the day I shot this recipe was all wilted, and I wanted something fresh instead). So if you want to go a more traditional route, make sure to garnish with parsley, not basil! 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 366mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 475IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @urbanfarmie or #urbanfarmie to let me know – I would LOVE to see your creations!
    « Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Brown Butter!)
    Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust »

    Download your seasonal eating guide!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

    Read more →

    Recipe Key

    Dairy free
    Gluten free
    Nut free
    Vegan
    Vegetarian

    Fall Favorites

    • Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe
    • No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Thai Curried Butternut Squash Soup
    • Ethiopian Cabbage
    year-round produce guide

    Get Every Recipe To Your Inbox!

    As Seen On

    Footer

    Urban Farmie

    Urban Farmie

    Seasonal, global, vegetarian recipes and the stories behind them. Inspired by life and travels to 60+ countries. Always authentic, never boring.

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Popular Posts

    Nigerian Jollof Rice

    Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

    Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread (or Quiche!)

    Chana Masala

    Healthy Samosas

    Moroccan Shakshuka

    Back To Top

    Copyright Black Bicycle LLC. © 2023
    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Disclosure Policy | Website Accessibility Statement