Arrabbiata sauce, known in Italian as sugo all'arrabbiata (arabbiata in Romanesco dialect^[1]), is a spicy sauce for pasta made from garlic, tomatoes, and dried red chili peppers cooked in olive oil. The sauce originates from the Lazio region of Italy,^[2] and particularly from the city of Rome.^[3]

Arrabbiata literally means 'angry' in Italian;^[2] in Romanesco dialect the adjective arabbiato denotes a characteristic (in this case spiciness) pushed to excess.^[1] In Rome, in fact, any food cooked in a pan with a lot of oil, garlic and chili so as to provoke a strong thirst is called "arrabbiato" (e.g. broccoli arrabbiati).^[1]

The invention of the dish dates back to the 1950s and 1960s, at a time when hot (meaning here spicy or peppery) food was in vogue in Roman cuisine.^[3] The dish has been celebrated several times in Italian movies, notably in Marco Ferreri's La Grande Bouffe (1973) and Federico Fellini's Roma (1972).^[4]

The main ingredients are peeled tomatoes, garlic, plenty of cayenne chili peppers, salt and extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes grated parmesan and pecorino romano cheese are added to the pasta.^[3]

Media related to Arrabbiata sauce at Wikimedia Commons

• List of sauces
• List of condiments