Calabrese Arrabbiata Rigatoni
A fiery, garlicky tomato sauce with crisped Calabrese salami folded through — arrabbiata with double the Calabrian-chile heat, on the table in half an hour.
Arrabbiata is the classic spicy Roman tomato sauce — just garlic, olive oil, chile, and tomato. We give it a Calabrian accent by crisping our Calabrese salami right into the oil, so the sauce picks up its spicy, rendered fat.
The result is a little richer and meatier than a traditional arrabbiata, with a double hit of Calabrian chile from both the salami and the pepper flakes. Rigatoni's ridges and tubes grab all of it.
It's fast, it's fiery, and it's exactly the kind of pantry-friendly dinner you'll come back to.
Ingredients
For the Pasta
12 oz rigatoni
kosher salt (for the water)
For the Sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 oz Calabrese salami, diced or cut into strips
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Featured in this recipe:
Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the Calabrese and cook 2 to 3 minutes until the edges crisp and the fat renders.
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and salt. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes until thickened and glossy.
Add the drained rigatoni to the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Toss over low heat until the sauce coats the pasta, adding more water as needed.
Off the heat, stir in most of the pecorino and the parsley. Plate and finish with the rest of the cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Chef Notes
Arrabbiata means "angry," so don't be shy with the chile — but bloom it gently in the oil rather than burning it, or it turns bitter.
Crisp the Calabrese first so it renders its spicy fat into the oil; that's where a lot of the flavor lives. Finish the pasta in the sauce with a splash of pasta water so every tube gets coated.
Substitutions & Tips
No Calabrese? Our 'Nduja or Diablo salami bring the same kind of heat. For a milder sauce, use less chile and a sweeter salami like Finocchiona.
Penne, mezze rigatoni, or paccheri all work in place of rigatoni. Love this combination? Try it on a pizza in our Calabrese & Hot Honey Pizza.
Serving & Storage
Serve right away, while the sauce is glossy and the pasta is hot.
Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and reheat well with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The sauce alone also freezes nicely for up to 3 months.
Published
Find more delicious recipes