Super Easy and Tasty Rigatoni Arrabbiata

5 from 2 votes

Ready in a handful of minutes, this pasta dish bursts with flavor and is a real crowd pleaser!

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegan

Servings: portions

Calories: 509kcal

In a large saucepan or frying pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and heat up on a medium low heat.
Once warm, add the thinly sliced onions, the peeled but whole cloves of garlic, and a pinch of salt.
Mix the ingredients well and cook slowly, so as to soften the onion without browning it, stirring occasionally.
Once the onions are transparent and soft [approx 5-7 minutes], add the red pepper flakes and mix, allowing these to cook for about a minute.
Next, add the canned chopped tomatoes to the onion mixture and mix well.
To the sauce, add a cup of water, mix well again, and bring the sauce to a light simmer. Put a lid on the saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and allow to simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the meantime, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the rigatoni pasta as per the package directions, ensuring it remains al dente.
Once the sauce is ready, remove the garlic cloves.
As soon as the rigatoni are ready, drain them [quickly, you don't need to remove all the cooking water], and add them to the saucepan together with the parsley.
Mix the pasta to the sauce while keeping the pan on a low flame.
Serve the pasta while hot and enjoy!

The pasta is best eaten freshly prepared, however, it can be stored in an airtight container for up to one day in the fridge. Fully reheat in a pan with a tablespoon of water, to bring some moisture back to the sauce.
Adjust the dose of red pepper flakes used to taste.
Any shape of pasta will work with this spicy tomato sauce, however short pasta with a central hole will hold on to the sauce better, especially the chunky pieces of tomato.
Peeled plum tomatoes can be used instead of canned chopped tomatoes, and these can be broken in a bowl using a fork before adding to the saucepan.
Should the sauce be too acidic, add half a teaspoon of sugar to it while it cooks, as this will balance it out.
If you like the garlic in your sauce, you can either mash the cloves once the sauce is ready [they will be extra soft] and mix them back in, or chop them right at the beginning and leave them in.

Storing

Sauce Only: Store the spicy sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or freeze it for up to three months. Before serving, thoroughly reheat it.

With Pasta: It is best to serve pasta arrabbiata as soon as it is ready. However, leftover pasta can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a day. To reheat, add the pasta to a saucepan and stir a few tablespoons of water through it. On low to medium heat, stir it frequently until thoroughly hot.