Arrabiata Pasta Recipe or simply Red Sauce Pasta recipe with a healthy twist shared in detail with step by step photos and all the tips needed to make it perfect.

I am sure after going through the recipe, you will be more eager than your children to make it as It has everything that every mom wants her kids to have.

Pasta made in Arrabiata sauce is called Arrabiata Pasta. And, what is Arrabiata sauce? So, arrabbiata sauce is a spicy sauce made with tomato puree, garlic, and red chili peppers along with herbs and seasonings in olive oil. The word Arrabbiata means 'angry' in Italian and it gets this name due to the spiciness of the red peppers.

Arrabbiata sauce is usually served with penne pasta, as Penne absorbs the sauce much better than all other varieties of pasta. However, you can use any other shape too.

But as we are making this sauce mainly for kids, therefore, I have reduced red chili peppers and instead have added veggies to it. Thus, you can easily call it  Pasta in red sauce with vegetables.

If looking for more healthy Pasta recipes then do try Pasta in Spinach Sauce, an interesting twist to Pesto Sauce Pasta.

 

 Step By Step Photos

A. Cook Pasta

• Boil water in a large and wide pan with lots of water, for 250 g Pasta take at least 2-liter water.

Tip: Always take a large pan with plenty of water to boil pasta. It is even written on the packet of pasta to use 1 liter of water for every 100 g pasta. Do you know why we need so much water?  Read below in FAQs.

• When the water starts boiling add salt.

Tip: Salt is added according to the quantity of water and not as per the pasta. So, for 2 liters of water add 2 tsp salt. Salt adds flavor to the pasta and excess will be drained away with the water.

• Now add pasta and stir it so that it does not stick to the pot.
• Let another boil come and then reduce the flame to medium and let it boil. Stir once or twice in between.
• Follow the time on the packet and cook it al dente or a little more than that. The best is to bite a piece, if it feels good to you then stop cooking.
• Drain the pasta.
• Once drained fully, use it immediately. But, if, for whatever reason, it is not possible to toss in the sauce then keep it covered till the time to use.

 

B.  Arrabiata Pasta Sauce Recipe

• Wash tomatoes and chop roughly.
• Peel and chop onions, bottle gourd, pumpkin, carrot, and beetroot.

Tip: The beet gives wonderful red color to the sauce. But do not add much otherwise you will have pink sauce. 

• Put chopped tomatoes and other vegetables along with 1 cup water in the cooker and boil it for 1 whistle.
• When it cools down, puree it in the blender and pass through a strainer.

 

• In a wok, put olive oil, add crushed garlic and dried herbs. You may add red pepper flakes if desired.
• Saute for a while, add the strained puree.
• Add salt and sugar. If you have fresh parsley or basil leaves, then add at this stage.
• Cook till the desired consistency is reached.
• Lastly, add vinegar, stir and the sauce is ready. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 8 to 10 days.

C. Assembly

• Wash and chop veggies.
• In a wok, heat oil and saute veggies.
• Mix in the pasta sauce. Add half the sauce first.
• Add boiled pasta. Toss everything on medium-high flame. Check the seasoning.
• If need be, add more sauce.

 

• While serving, grate some Parmesan cheese. But you can use processed cheese too as I did

.

• Serve with love, garlic bread optional.

 

 

FAQs 

Q) Why should I boil pasta in plenty of water?

Use 1 liter of water for every 100 g pasta. Do you know why we need so much water? This is because pasta has a lot of starch in it. If it floats freely in the water then all the starch easily gets into the water otherwise not only the pasta sticks and most of the starch remains on it but also its taste is affected.

Q) What is meant by boil Al Dente?

• Boil Al Dente: Very important step. You must have read this word many times especially in reference to pasta. What does that mean?
• Al Dente Pasta means that it is neither crunchy nor too soft but just rightly cooked.
• If pasta is undercooked then it sticks to the palette.
• If it is overcooked then it doesn't taste good and also it breaks when mixed with the sauce.
• Therefore it should be boiled Al dente which means that it is still resistant to the bite.
• But how do we know that? There are 2 ways of knowing that.
• First of all, take a piece, cool it a little, and bite with your front teeth. If it feels firm and not crunchy then it is Al Dente. The second method is that you break a piece then on the rim, you can see a core of uncooked pasta.
• But I prefer to cook a little more than al dente, maybe 2 minutes more. You do as per your preference and the best way is to bite it and check.

 

Q) Should I add oil while boiling pasta?

Never add oil to the boiling water while cooking pasta. Oil creates a film that inhibits sauce sticking to it.

 

Q) Why should I add so many vegetables to the pasta sauce?

It's true that ideally, pasta sauce is made with tomato and garlic only. But I have added vegetables to increase its nutritional quotient without affecting the taste.

This is because most children do not want to eat veggies like bottlegourd, carrots, etc. Be a smart mother and add these veggies while boiling tomatoes and onion. Kids will never come to know and will enjoy their pasta.

If you do not want to add vegetables then try this Pizza/Pasta Sauce

Q) Can I make ahead Arrabbiata Pasta?

If you plan to make it ahead then make the arrabbiata sauce, maybe the previous day. Boil Pasta as late as you can afford, maybe an hour or two prior. And keep them separate. At the time of serving, heat the sauce, mix boiled pasta, and toss.

 

Related Recipes You may like to try:

• Wheat Pizza
• Pasta Salad
• Spinach Sauce Pasta

 

 

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