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two plates of spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce on a linen napkin.
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5 from 2 votes

Homemade Spicy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Spaghetti cooked in spicy tomato sauce is the ultimate comfort food and an easy-to-make pasta recipe!
Prep Time50 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Greek Dinner Ideas
Cuisine: Greek
Keyword: spaghetti with tomato sauce, spicy spaghetti, spicy tomato sauce
Servings: 6
Calories: 455kcal
Author: Ria Mavrikos

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon oil for pasta water
  • 2 white onions peeled and diced
  • 1 whole garlic bulb 8-10 cloves peeled and finely diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger finely diced or grated
  • 1 red pepper chopped
  • 1 orange pepper chopped
  • 1 can Italian plum tomatoes 796 ml. / 28 oz
  • 3 fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped
  • 2 1/4 cups of hot water for tomato sauce + water to boil pasta
  • 1 ½ teaspoons white granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter 1 oz.
  • 1 ½ tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 1-2 teaspoons chilli flakes you can add more if you like it spicier
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley chopped
  • 1/2 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine pinot grigio, pinot gris, sauvignon blanc
  • 2 teaspoons salt + 1 teaspoon salt for pasta water
  • 1 package of spaghetti 500 grams
  • Grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top optional

Instructions

  • Sauté the white onions, garlic, ginger, and chilli flakes. Peel and dice two white onions. In a large pot, pour in the olive oil. Allow the oil to heat up over medium-low heat, then add in the diced white onions and sauté the onions until translucent - about 10 minutes. Stir frequently and keep the heat on medium-low so that the onions don't burn. After 10 minutes or once the onions are translucent, add in the diced garlic, ginger and red chilli flakes. Sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
  • Clean and chop the peppers. Rinse the red and orange pepper, cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Cut the peppers into about 1" pieces. Add the peppers to the pot and cook for a few minutes with the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes.
  • Prepare the tomatoes. Place the fresh tomatoes in a bowl of warm water. Allow the tomatoes to sit in the water for 5-10 minutes to help soften the tomatoes and the skin. Peel the skin with a paring knife and cut the tomatoes into smaller pieces. In a separate large bowl, pour the can of plum tomatoes (including the juice) into the bowl and also add the fresh tomatoes. Use your hands or a fork to crush the tomatoes, and then pour all of the tomatoes (and the juice) into the pot.
  • Add the seasonings and other ingredients. Add in the hot water, sugar, salted butter, tomato paste, and anchovy paste. Allow the sauce to cook uncovered for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes or so, add in the chicken base, white wine and salt.
  • Simmer the sauce. Allow the spicy tomato sauce to simmer for at least an hour on medium-low heat, and cover the pot with a lid. Stir occasionally and keep the heat on the lower side so that the sauce doesn't burn. Just before adding the spaghetti, add the chopped fresh basil and Italian parsley to the tomato sauce.
  • Boil the spaghetti. After the sauce has been simmering for an hour (it's great if you can cook the sauce for longer, but at least an hour is good!), boil a separate pot of water and cook the spaghetti for just 3 minutes. Add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil to the boiling water with the spaghetti. Before draining the spaghetti, reserve 1/2 a cup of pasta water. You likely won't need to add it to the pasta sauce, but it's good to have on hand, just in case. Since the type of spaghetti you use may change the cooking time.
  • Transfer the spaghetti to the tomato sauce. Drain the spaghetti and transfer it to the pot with the tomato sauce. At this point, the spaghetti will still be firm. The spaghetti will finish cooking in the tomato sauce (about 8-10 minutes or until the spaghetti is al dente). Leave the pot uncovered while the spaghetti cooks. Try a little bit of the pasta on a separate plate to see if it's done.

Notes

  • Getting the timing right for the spaghetti can be a little tricky. Only cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 3 minutes because the spaghetti will continue to cook once it's added to the tomato sauce. The spaghetti will be firm when it's added to the tomato sauce - that's ok, it's what we want!
  • It's a good idea to reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. You likely won't need it, but it's good to have on hand, just in case. 
  • The pasta will cook more as it sits, so you don't want to overcook it. If the pasta needs a little more liquid to finish cooking, you can add 1/4 cup of pasta water. Keep adding water (if needed) until the spaghetti is al dente. But try not to add too much water at once since you don't want the pasta to get mushy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 1413mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g