What if you could spend ten minutes preparing some ingredients, throw them in the oven, and then an hour later have a complex, satisfying, and beautiful pasta sauce? You do not need to wonder because that is exactly what we will do in this post. Today we will make Oven-Baked Arrabbiata Sauce. Do not know what arrabbiata sauce is? Do not worry. I will fill you in on everything you need to know. You can always find the recipe directly below but keep reading for more information and more detailed instructions.
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What is Arrabbiata Sauce?
Arrabbiata is an Italian pasta sauce made of tomatoes, garlic, and chilli cooked in olive oil. It is a little sweet, a little acidic, a little spicy, and a lot delicious. The name arrabbiata translates to "angry" in Italian, which refers to the heat from the chilli peppers. Despite the fiery name, the spice level is very manageable and can easily be adjusted to your preference.
My version is a little different than others you may encounter in that it is baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stovetop. I also use rosemary in my sauce, where most people use parsley or occasionally basil, because I find rosemary perfectly balances the tomato and chilli. I make my arrabbiata sauce in the oven because doing so requires less effort and because roasting the ingredients pulls more flavour out of them. So, my version is easier than most and has a deeper, more developed flavour.
Arrabbiata Ingredients
The ingredients for my Oven-Baked Arrabbiata Sauce are refreshingly simple: 6 to 7 Roma tomatoes, 1 bulb of garlic, 1 red chilli, about a quarter cup of olive oil, 1 big sprig of rosemary, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. That is it. Roma tomatoes are the best choice here because they have a higher flesh-to-seed ratio and less water content than other varieties, which means a thicker, more concentrated sauce.
How To Make Arrabbiata Sauce
Preparing The Tomatoes
To prepare the tomatoes, cut them in half, and use a sharp knife (feel free to use a smaller knife than I did) to cut away the stem. Pour half of the olive oil into the bottom of a cast-iron dutch oven or similar oven-safe cooking vessel. Put the tomatoes in the pot cut-side up. Placing them cut-side up allows the heat to penetrate the flesh directly, which speeds up the roasting process and gives you better caramelization.
Preparing The Garlic
Cut the top off the bulb of garlic and remove any loose skin. You do not need to peel the garlic. You just do not want loose garlic skin floating around in your finished sauce. Push the bulb of garlic, cut-side up, into the middle of the pot. Break the rosemary sprig in half and place it on either side of the garlic. Roasting the garlic whole like this makes it incredibly sweet and mellow, which is a lovely contrast to the spicy chilli.
Preparing The Chilli
Cut the chilli in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. If you enjoy an especially spicy sauce, you can leave the seeds in. The seeds and the white membrane are where most of the heat lives, so removing them gives you a gentle warmth rather than an intense burn. Put the chilli in the pot on top of the tomatoes.
Drizzle the tomatoes, chilli, garlic, and rosemary with the remaining olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Put a lid on the pot and bake in a 400-degree oven for 35 minutes.
Roasting and Finishing The Sauce
After the initial 35 minutes of cooking, remove the lid from the pot and return it to the oven for another 30 minutes. Cooking the sauce with the lid on first keeps all the moisture that comes out of the tomatoes in the pot. Finishing the bake with the lid off allows most of that accumulated tomato liquid to evaporate, leaving a concentrated tomato flavour.
Allow the sauce to cool for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. Use two spoons to squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel and discard the peel. Use your fingers or two spoons to remove the needles from the rosemary stems and discard the stems. Break the tomatoes up using two spoons, then puree the sauce with an immersion blender or transfer the ingredients to the bowl of a stand blender. Once the sauce is smooth, taste it and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
Uses For Arrabbiata Sauce
The classic use for arrabbiata sauce is to toss it with some penne and parmesan cheese. This works as a great lunch with a salad, a fantastic first course, or even as a side dish. You can also add some chicken or bacon to the pasta for a heartier meal. A few tablespoons of heavy cream will calm the spice down a little bit and draw a little more sweetness out of the sauce.
I really like cooking mussels in arrabbiata sauce or tossing fried calamari in it. It would also be fantastic with shrimp. If you enjoy pasta dishes, you might also want to try my sausage and mushroom penne for another quick and delicious option. Once the sauce is made, it can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to four days.
Why Oven-Baking Makes a Difference
You might be wondering why I bother roasting the ingredients in the oven when you could just cook everything on the stovetop. The answer comes down to flavour development. When tomatoes roast in a hot oven, the Maillard reaction and caramelization create layers of flavour that you simply cannot achieve by simmering on the stove. The garlic becomes sweet and nutty, the chilli mellows while still providing warmth, and the tomatoes develop an incredible depth that tastes like you spent hours tending a pot.
The other advantage is convenience. With the stovetop method, you need to stir occasionally and keep an eye on things. With the oven method, you put everything in, close the door, and walk away. It is truly one of the most hands-off pasta sauces you will ever make, and I think once you try it this way, you will never go back to the stovetop version.
This arrabbiata sauce is one of those recipes I keep coming back to because it delivers so much flavour for so little effort. Whether you toss it with penne, spoon it over chicken, or use it as a dipping sauce, it is an absolute winner. I hope you give it a try and discover just how delicious simplicity can be.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Roma Tomatoes
- 1 bulb Garlic
- 1 Red Chilli
- 1 large Sprig Rosemary
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ cup Olive Oil divided
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 400°f.
- Coat the bottom of an oven-safe dutch oven with half the olive oil.
- Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and cut out the stem. Put the tomatoes in the dutch oven cut side up.
- Cut the top off the bulb of garlic and remove any loose skin. Push the bulb of garlic into the middle of the dutch oven cut side up.
- Cut the chilli in half and remove the seeds and stem. Put in the dutch oven on top of the tomatoes.
- Break the rosemary sprig in half and put it on top of the tomatoes.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil on the garlic, tomatoes, and chilli.
- Season with salt and pepper, then put a lid on the dutch oven and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the lid and bake for another 30 minutes.
- Let the ingredients cool for 5 minutes. Squeeze the garlic out of the peel. Discard the peel. Take the needles off the rosemary stem. Discard the stem. Put the tomatoes, peeled garlic, chilli, and rosemary needles, along with any oil and liquid from the pot, in a blender and purée. Or, use an immersion blender and purée.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Toss the sauce with cooked penne or linguine, top with grated parmesan and serve.
Ally says
I just made this and it is sublime! The oven roasting adds a level that can’t be matched. Thank you!