Rigatoni Arrabbiata

This rigatoni arrabbiata recipe is comforting, hearty, and surprisingly easy to make. It’s our spin on a classic spicy arrabbiata, adding sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts to make a flavorful, almost pesto-like sauce. With bold flavors and comforting textures, it’s the kind of pasta dish that warms the soul. 

If you’re ready to get cooking, simply hit the “jump to recipe” button. Or scroll through below for some additional cooking tips and step-by-step photos.

Rigatoni Arrabbiata Cooking Tips

While the ingredients are simple, here are some tips you can use while shopping for ingredients and some ingredient substituions.

Dried Tomatoes vs Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Believe it or not, there is a difference! You can typically find dried tomatoes in the bulk foods section of the grocery store. Though usually more expensive, jars of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes may be easier to find – just check the pickle or pasta sauce aisle. If working with oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, you won’t need to soak them in boiling water before using them. Simple drain off the excess oil and add them right to the bowl of the food processor.

Depending on how much salt has been added to your sun-dried tomatoes, you may not need to add much more salt to your sauce. Sun-dried tomatoes are often quite salty, which is why they add so much delicious umami to this rigatoni arrabbiata. If your sauce tastes a bit bland, it may be because your sun-dried tomatoes were dried au natural (without salt). If this is the case, add more salt 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it suits your salt preference.

Parmesan vs Parmigiano Reggiano

We used the real stuff to prepare this recipe, and the flavor really shines through. Real parmesan has a partial imprint of the words “Parmigiano Reggiano” on the crust of the cheese wedge from when it was cut off of the wheel. You may also see a little blue sticker that says “DOP,” which indicates that it is a Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta. This certification guarantees that the product is produced in a certain geographical region, according to particular traditional production methods. It’s like how champagne can only be champagne if it comes from Champagne!

If you have trouble finding Parmigiano reggiano (or if it’s not in your budget right now), you can swap out a domestic version or another hard Italian cheese such as Pecorino.

Rigatoni Substitutions

Rigatoni works perfectly with this recipe because all of the tiny pieces of walnut, cheese, and dried tomato stick to the ridges of the pasta. If you can’t find rigatoni, choose another tubular pasta shape such as penne or even macaroni. You’ll love how each piece of pasta is stuffed full of the arrabbiata sauce!

Burrata Cheese

Burrata is a type of Italian fresh cheese in which a ball of mozzarella is wrapped around an interior core of soft cheese. When cut into, the soft cheese spills out like thickened cream. You can enjoy burrata warm, as with this red pesto rigatoni recipe, or chilled with a fresh salad. There’s really no substitute for burrata, but if you absolutely need to swap it out, choose either ricotta or buffalo mozzarella.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Rigatoni Arrabbiata

Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this Rigatoni Arrabbiata recipe. We’ve also included a few shopping tips and substitutions.

• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: We prefer the stronger flavor of the dehydrated variety, but if you’re using oil-packed tomatoes just make sure to drain them well before using.
• Parmesan Cheese: It’s best to grate your own cheese, as the pre-grated stuff often has anti-caking agents that prevent the cheese from properly melting in your sauce.
• Walnuts: We’re using shelled walnut halves but since we’re grinding them up anyway, feel free to use walnut pieces which are often less expensive. The walnuts add a mild nutty flavor and a bit of texture to the sauce. If needed, you can substitute with raw cashews, pine nuts, or even sunflower seeds.
• Garlic: Fresh whole garlic cloves will provide the best flavor in this rigatoni arrabbiata. In a pinch, you could use bottled minced garlic. Though the sauce will be missing a bit of kick from the fresh garlic.
• Tomato Paste: Look for tomato paste labeled “double concentrate,” which indicates that the paste will be thicker and with a higher concentration of tomato flavor. The tomato paste really takes the tomato flavor over the top in the red pesto.
• Red Pepper Flakes: These are optional, but we really like them because they add a little spice to the sauce. And they’re what generally adds a bit of heat to a traditional arrabbiata sauce.
• Olive Oil: The olive oil emulsifies the red pesto. You should use extra virgin olive oil, but no need to bust out your most expensive oil for this recipe. Save the good stuff to drizzle over the burrata when serving!
• Butter: The butter is used to give the sauce a velvety texture, but you can use olive oil. And it helps develop the flavors and take some of the burn off of the raw garlic. 
• Rigatoni: We chose rigatoni for this recipe because both the tubular shape and the exterior ridges hold on to lots of sauce.
• Spinach: Fresh spinach leaves add an earthy note to the pasta. And it’s a great way to add in a vegetable too. 
• Burrata Cheese: Make sure the burrata cheese is well-drained and at room temperature. If it’s too cold then it won’t melt into the pasta. 

How To Make Rigatoni Arrabbiata

Soak the sun dried tomatoes in 2 cups boiling water for ten minutes. Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Place the Parmigiano, walnuts, and garlic cloves in the bowl of a small food processor and pulse several times to break into crumbs.

Drain the soaked tomatoes and roughly chop half of them. Then set them aside. Add the remaining whole soaked tomatoes to the food processor along with the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Process until well-combined and smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter followed by the prepared red pesto and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant and thickened.

Add a half cup of water along with the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the spinach. Toss everything together and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm.

Once the pasta has reached al dente, reserve a cup of cooking water and drain the rest from the pot. Transfer the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss well with the sauce.

Add a splash of pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.
Serve topped with burrata and a drizzle of olive oil.

How Should I Store Leftovers?

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. But we don’t really recommended reheating this rigatoni arrabbiata as the pasta will overcook while reheating.

Instead, it is better to reserve half of the red pesto arrabbiata sauce in the fridge and then use it with freshly cooked pasta.

It’s the same with freezing. If you’d like to save some of this recipe, freeze the sauce in a zipper-close freezer bag, and then reheat the sauce to use with fresh cooked pasta.