Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Spaghetti Arrabbiata is a simple and spicy meatless meal that's perfect for a weeknight or a date night. Bring some fire energy to pasta night. Add some garlic bread and a glass of wine, and dinner is done.

Let's talk about overwhelm. Energetically, it can sometimes feel like constant blocks and barriers. You're on the path to wherever you're headed, but life has sent you a storm of stress. Puddles and streams now seem to have appeared. Tree limbs have fallen everywhere. Parts of the path now seem completely washed out and unpassable. What was once a clear smooth track is now filled with pot holes the size of a small child. Yeah, you can still get to your destination, but it seems immensely more difficult.

When I start to feel this way, my honest reaction is to retreat and sleep. And to a certain extent, more rest is literally what's needed. But life doesn't always allow you to just lay down along the road. Something is pursuing you, and you need to make it to the end before you lie down. Magically, I love to turn to the clearing energy of chilies for this. The spice is clearing for our bodies and our energy. It removes obstacles, perks you up, and gives you a burst of energy to keep moving.

What makes Spaghetti Arrabbiata so awesome?

This Spaghetti Arrabbiata is seriously spicy. You can control the heat level pretty easily by adjusting the amount of crushed red pepper flakes you add, or using a more mild variety of chili flakes. But basically, arrabbiata sauce is just a tomato sauce with a bunch of chili flakes added in to give it a huge punch of spice. I say, if you're not in it for the heat, then you might as well just choose a different type of pasta sauce.

Apologies to Italians if I'm breaking any rules by serving this with spaghetti rather than penne. Really any shape of pasta would work. I actually love this even more leftover after the pasta has really soaked up some of the sauce. I also added Parmesan cheese because I love it, but if you need this sauce to be vegetarian or vegan, just leave it off. All I need to make a meal is a big bowl of pasta, and maybe some crunchy garlic bread. A glass of wine never hurt anything either.

Magical Properties of Chili Peppers

Judika Illes's book The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells has a number of ways to use this spicy fruit. A chili pepper's phallic shape has led to them being used to protect male fertility, particularly against the evil eye. Conversely, you can also use chili peppers in a spell to keep your male partner faithful. They can also be used in a spell to break fevers along with some other spicy botanicals. You can also grind a dried chili to create a hex breaking spell and use the powder to cast a protective circle.

My intuition tells me that chili peppers carry male fire energy. I like to use that to remove obstacles, refocus, and stay motivated. What kind of energy do you feel from chili peppers?

For more magical info on the ingredients in this recipe, check my Kitchen Magick page.

Tips for making Spaghetti Arrabbiata

This is really a simple pasta sauce. It's fairly hands off, so it's totally doable for a weeknight dinner. Sautee some onions and garlic, then add chili flakes, tomato paste, canned chopped tomatoes, and dried basil and oregano, and just let it simmer together for a while. It really couldn't be easier. If you have fresh basil on hand, you can add a bit of that to your sauce at the end to brighten the flavor a bit.

We're serving this with spaghetti, but you could use a different pasta shape if you prefer. I like to drain the pasta and add it straight to the sauce to let it start to soak up some of the flavor. I'm never not serving pasta with garlic bread.

Whatever life throws at you, Spaghetti Arrabbiata will help make it more awesome. This spell works every time.

Looking for more awesome pasta recipes? Try some Orzo with Bacon & Peas or this Chicken & Goat Cheese Pasta.

Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Print Recipe

Spaghetti Arrabbiata is a simple and spicy meatless meal that's perfect for a weeknight or a date night. Bring some fire energy to pasta night. Add some garlic bread and a glass of wine, and dinner is done. 

• Author: Renee Rendall
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound or 500 grams dried spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, aka chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese and fresh basil to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add salt and cook your spaghetti according to packet instructions. Try and time your pasta to be done about the same time your sauce. Drain pasta.
2. Add your olive oil to a pot or skillet over medium heat. Add your chopped onion, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes to soften. Then add the minced garlic and let it cook for another minute or two until you can smell the garlic.
3. Next stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and tomato paste followed by the canned tomatoes and dried herbs. Give it a good stir, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 
4. Before you add the pasta, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Remove the sauce from the heat and toss the drained pasta through the sauce.
5. Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Keywords: pasta, arrabbiata

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Recipe slightly adapted from Spoon Fork Bacon.