This homemade Spicy Tomato Sauce is as simple as it gets but packs in a ton of flavor from just a few ingredients. With it being so simple, each ingredient gets a chance to really shine and bring something to the table. It’s a perfect quick tomato sauce to throw together whenever you need.
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Ingredients
This is the spicy marinara sauce I rely on in a pinch, it goes well with so many different dishes making it perfectly versatile. It’s similar to an spicy arrabbiata sauce in its ingredients, but with a slight difference.
- Passata: Passata is essentially puréed tomatoes / strained tomatoes, perfect for making a silky simple sauce.
- Onion: One small yellow onion sautéed until soft brings the basic yet much needed flavor into this tomato sauce.
- Garlic: Another staple in most Italian dishes. I like lots of garlic, but if you want more or less feel free to adjust to your preference.
- Calabrian chili peppers: I like to buy these canned already chopped so you just have to scoop them out – they provide a nice deep heat that rounds out sauces with more flavor than a standard red pepper flakes / red chili flakes.
- Salt & pepper: Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
- (optional) Parmesan cheese: To serve, I love dousing a good amount of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top.
Step by step instructions
This is a simple spicy sauce that comes together with minimal effort and has so much flavor. Full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
1. Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for two minutes.
3. Add the Calabrian chiles and sauté for one minute.
4. Add the tomato passata, salt, and pepper, stir to combine everything and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 15 minutes until the flavors combine.
5. Serve (add pasta, parmesan cheese, etc.).
Tips and tricks
Homemade pasta sauce is honestly supreme and comes together in a pinch – check out the tips and tricks below for some extra little tidbits.
- Add spice to taste! If you know you’re more sensitive to it and just want a little kick, only add a bit - if you want extra spice, add some more! The amount I have in the recipe is for those who can tolerate spice but it's not so spicy that you'll be blown away.
- Make a double batch and freeze it for later!
- If you want to be sure your parmesan cheese is from Italy, look for “Parmigiano Reggiano” with the yellow and red seal on it that states PDO (protected designation of origin).
- The longer you simmer it the more the flavors will meld together, so if you have time, simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- If you are buying boxed pasta, be mindful of the ingredients - those with only flour and eggs, and that are air dried are best and don't have all the yucky chemicals.
- If you want to add fresh herbs, I'd recommend throwing a sprig of fresh basil into the sauce as it simmers.
Serving suggestions
While I love to enjoy this sauce in its simplest form on top of my favorite pasta shape (mezze rigatoni), some of my other favorite ways to use this sauce are listed below:
- Chicken parmesan
- Lasagna
- Eggplant rollatini
- Sauce for homemade pasta such as ravioli, gnocchi, gundi, pappardelle, etc.
- Dipping sauce for fried zucchini or mozzarella sticks
- Warm some cannellini beans in it and enjoy with sourdough bread
Storage and reheating
This spicy red sauce stores and reheats SO well, you definitely need to save any leftovers.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat on the stovetop on low heat or in the microwave for a few minutes, stirring halfway through.
- You can freeze the sauce in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
FAQs
Passata is raw, strained tomatoes - never cooked prior to packaging. Tomato puree however, is often cooked prior to canning to enhance the sweetness.
Sure! For canned varieties – crushed tomatoes would be closest in texture to passata, then diced tomatoes. You could also use whole tomatoes (e.g., canned whole san marzano tomatoes) and crush them with your hands.
For fresh tomatoes - if you have large tomatoes dice them up, if you have a smaller variety like cherry tomatoes just slice them in half. Then add them to the skillet after the Calabrian chiles and cook until they break down and get sauce. If you want the homemade tomato sauce to be smooth, add it to a blender or food processor. Be careful adding hot things to a blender though, make sure you open the vent at the top and cover with a cloth to let steam escape.
Parmesan does not have “rules” on how it is made and where. Whereas Parmigiano Reggiano has to be made from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and is labeled as such with a PDO stamp.
Arrabbiata translates to “angry” which is reflective of the sauce being spicy.
Did you make this spicy tomato sauce recipe? Leave a rating and review below, and tag me on social!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Spicy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion minced, 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 tbsp
- 1 tablespoon chopped calabrian chili peppers
- 24 oz passata
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Warm extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat - add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté until very fragrant, about two minutes.
- Add the Calabrian chiles and sauté until fragrant, one minute.
- Add the tomato passata, salt, and pepper, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes at a simmer to allow the flavors to combine.
- Serve (add pasta, parmesan cheese, etc.).
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