Recipes Ingredients Pasta and Grains Quick & Easy Pasta Recipes Linguine Arrabbiata 3.6 (72) 7 Reviews Spice up your next dinner with this quick, easy, and delicious pasta dish. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 23, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Rachel Marek Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 If you’ve been searching for another comforting pasta recipe to add to your repertoire, look no further. Our linguine arrabbiata has all of the humble flavors of a traditional pasta marinara but with a kick. Crushed red chili flakes add a punch of spice and flavor to each drop of arrabbiata sauce that clings to the linguine. The whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes and uses simple pantry ingredients including linguine, canned tomatoes, garlic, and pepper flakes. Linguine arrabbiata is simple enough for a quick weeknight pasta dinner. With a fun side dish or two—we recommend keeping with the Italian theme and accompanying the pasta with Caesar salad or garlic bread—it’s elegant enough to dazzle dinner party guests as well. However you enjoy it, everyone will love twirling strands of this spicy pasta by the forkful. An Illustrated Guide to 14 Popular Pasta Shapes—and the Best Sauces to Pair Them With What Is Arrabbiata? Known in Italian as "sugo all'arrabbiata," this spicy tomato sauce translates as "angry." It originated in Rome and is made similarly to marinara sauce—tomatoes and garlic are simmered with olive oil until they become saucy. What sets arrabbiata apart is the addition of spicy red pepper flakes. What makes our arrabbiata recipe even better is a generous splash of white wine. You only need a handful of ingredients to make the spicy sauce. They each play an important role, and you probably have many of them in your kitchen already. Chili flakes: Sweet, juicy tomatoes are perfectly complemented by just the right amount of spicy pepper flakes. Feel free to adjust the amount as desired—if you don't like things too spicy, cut back by ¼ teaspoon and see how the sauce tastes. You can always add more later. Pro tip: like many other dried spices, pepper flakes lose their potency as time goes on. If that jar has been kicking around your pantry for more than a year, it’s time to replace it. Garlic: No tomato sauce would be complete without a few cloves of garlic. We like to slice them for this sauce—they become tender and sweet as they cook but still have a bit of a bite to them. Canned tomatoes: We use a combination of whole peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce to make a sauce with the perfect texture—not too smooth and not too chunky. White wine: This sauce has a good amount of white wine. It simmers down alongside the tomatoes, its acidity complementing the tomatoes’ sweetness. Opt for a dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Why We Use Canned Tomatoes When tomatoes are fresh, ripe, and in-season in the summer, it’s hard to pass them by at farmers market stands. You can definitely use fresh for this sauce if you like, but we love to use canned tomatoes for a few reasons. Ease: There’s nothing easier than cracking open a can of tomatoes. Rather than washing and prepping fresh tomatoes, canned varieties will do the trick for so many recipes. Tomatoes are canned when perfectly ripe, so you know the flavor will be consistent (and delicious). Accessibility: There isn't a supermarket or corner store that doesn’t carry canned tomatoes in one form or another. They’re easily accessible, not to mention affordable. This means that you can make this recipe (and many others) year-round, so when the craving for tomato sauce strikes, you don't have to wait for the summer. Just as nutritious: The canning process helps lock in many of the fresh tomato's nutrients. Each can is packed with vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium, and lycopene. Canned Tomatoes + Canned Tomato Sauce We use a combination of whole peeled tomatoes and tomato sauce in order to create a sauce with the perfect consistency. Whole tomatoes have a bittersweet flavor and low acidity. As they break down in the sauce, their meaty texture helps maintain the structure of the tomato sauce. Not to be confused with marinara sauce, store-bought tomato sauce usually contains fewer ingredients. Look for cans that contain puréed tomatoes and minimal added spices and salt. In this recipe, tomato sauce helps loosen out the arrabbiata so it will cling to each strand of linguine. Ingredients Coarse salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ¾ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional) 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes in juice, cut into chunks 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce ½ cup dry white wine 1 pound linguine Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional) Directions Rachel Marek Boil water for pasta; cook garlic and red pepper flakes in skillet: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook until garlic is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Rachel Marek Add tomatoes, sauce, and wine: Add tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and wine. Simmer over medium, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Rachel Marek Cook pasta: Cook pasta in boiling salted water 2 minutes less than package instructions for al dente. Rachel Marek Drain and add pasta to skillet: cook in sauce, then serve: Drain; add pasta to skillet. Cook, stirring, until pasta is tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Serve, if desired, with Parmesan and red-pepper flakes. Rachel Marek Why You Should Always Salt Pasta Water—and the Right Way to Do It Storage Let leftover linguine cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. It will last in the refrigerator for about 3 days. If you use tomato sauce often, consider making a double or triple batch of the arrabbiata. It can be canned and stored at room temperature for up to 1 year or secured in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 6 months. Reheating This pasta can be reheated in the microwave or a skillet. If using the microwave, warm it in 30-second increments, stirring it a few times in between. If using a skillet, place the pasta in an even layer on the surface and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Store some of the pasta cooking water in a separate container when you put away the leftovers. You can use a splash or two to loosen up the sauce when reheating. Frequently Asked Questions What's the difference between arrabbiata and amatriciana? The difference between arrabbiata and amatriciana is simple. While both of these Italian sauces are based on marinara sauce, they are flavored in different ways. Arrabbiata spices things up with red pepper flakes, while amatriciana incorporates guanciale, a type of cured pork. Can I use other pasta shapes? Yes, you can definitely use other pasta shapes. Arrabbiata sauce is just about as versatile as classic marinara, so feel free to pair it with any shape of pasta you like, from penne to bucatini. Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? Yes, you can use fresh tomatoes instead of canned when they are in season. Arrabbiata sauce made with fresh tomatoes will take 10-15 minutes longer to cook because canned tomatoes are processed in a way that makes them break down faster. Other Linguine Recipes to Try: Linguine With Clams and Peppers Linguine With Tapenade, Tomatoes, and Arugula Linguine With Toasted Almonds, Parsley, and Lemon Linguine With Turkey Sausage and Peppers Linguine With Asparagus and Egg Linguine Pasta With Lemon-Cream Sauce Originally appeared: Everyday Food, December 2006 Rate It PRINT Updated by Riley Wofford Riley Wofford Riley is an associate food editor for Martha Stewart Living.