• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Season & Thyme
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Social
  • Subscribe
  • Spring Recipes
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Social
  • Subscribe
  • Spring Recipes
×
  • Featured picture of bowl of elotes chicken salad.
    Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad
  • up close of plate of seasoned chicken thighs.
    Homemade Nando's Chicken Thighs
  • bowl of crockpot southwest chicken with toppings.
    Crockpot Southwest Chicken
  • serving of chicken,mushroom, asparagus skillet in a bowl.
    One Pan Chicken with Mushroom and Asparagus
  • Garlic and Herb Roast Chicken
  • featured image for slow cooker venison roast shown up close on a white plate.
    Slow Cooker Venison Roast
  • parmesan garlic chicken thighs on a plate up close.
    Parmesan Garlic Chicken Thighs
  • featured image for pickle roll ups.
    Pickle Roll-ups
  • up close of sliced pork tenderloin.
    Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin
  • featured image for elote pasta salad.
    Elote Pasta Salad
  • Featured picture of olive garden stuffed chicken marsala.
    Olive Garden Stuffed Chicken Marsala
  • Featured photo of cooked venison jerky.
    Homemade Venison Jerky
Home » Recipes » Pasta

Spicy Fusilli Arrabiata

Published: Jan 3, 2022 · Modified: Feb 8, 2024 by Sarah Baumeister · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Spirals of fusilli pasta noodles cooked until al dente and then smothered in a creamy and spicy arrabiata sauce, Spicy Fusilli Arrabiata is simple to make and full of flavor and spice!

plated pasta garnished with basil

This recipe for spicy fusilli arrabiata is very similar to this gigi hadid spicy vodka sauce pasta (pasta alla vodka), but with a few key differences.

  • That vodka sauce is made with a base of olive oil and butter, this spicy fusilli recipe only uses butter.
  • Pasta alla Vodka has vodka in it, this spicy fusilli is made without vodka.
  • That recipe is made with a base of tomato paste, whereas this recipe is made with a base of jarred arrabiata sauce that cream is then added to.

If you want to try a spicy pasta recipe with more protein, check out this Spicy Chicken Pasta.

orange pasta sauce being stirred in a skillet

I find that the final products are very similar taste wise. This one has a lot more tomato to it (a 32 ounce jar as opposed to a few tablespoons), but in the end they are both spicy, creamy, tomato-based pasta dishes. This recipe also doesn't require the caramelization of tomato paste, so it is a little quicker to make.

If you have ever had the pleasure of enjoying jon and vinny's spicy fusilli recipe, this pasta dish is very similar!

Ingredients for Spicy Fusilli Arrabiata

ingredients for spicy fusilli on a white background
  • fusilli pasta
  • arrabiata sauce (I use Rao's)
  • butter
  • heavy cream
  • shallots
  • garlic cloves
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • red pepper flakes
  • salt
  • pasta water

How to Make Spicy Fusilli Pasta

Begin by mincing your garlic and finely chopping the shallot.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add in finely chopped shallot and minced garlic. Stir to cook until fragrant, about two minutes.

shallots and garlic minced on a green cutting board
garlic and shallots sauteing in a dark skillet

Add in entire jar of arrabiata sauce and stir. Bring up to a simmer.

Add in cream and stir until combined. Add in freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt.

sauce poured on top of sauteed shallots and garlic with a spoon stirring
parmesan being stirred into sauce
red pepper flakes sprinkled on top of finished spicy fusilli sauce

Add red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Start with ½ tsp. of red pepper flakes if you are sensitive to heat.

While the sauce is being made, prepare pasta according to packaging instructions, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.

spicy fusilli pasta not yet stirred in a large skillet
spicy fusilli pasta stirred together in a large skillet

Add drained, cooked pasta to the prepared sauce, along with ½ cup of pasta water and stir to completely coat.

Serve warm.

How to serve spicy fusilli

Serve this creamy arrabiata sauce pasta as is, or topped with fresh basil for a bit of color. We also love topping it with a few drops of goat cheese.

A simple caesar salad pairs really well with the flavors of this pasta dish.

spicy fusilli arrabiata plated in a white bowl with cheese and basil in the background

What type of pasta is fusilli

Fusilli is a semolina based, twisted pasta noodle. It is a short pasta and most similar to rotini or gemeli.

Storage

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. The sauce will soak into the pasta the longer it sits. If you would like to avoid that, store the pasta and sauce separately.

plated pasta garnished with basil

Spicy Fusilli Arrabiata

Sarah Baumeister
Spicy Fusilli Arrabiata is a creamy pasta dish made with jarred arrabiata sauce, heavy cream, and red pepper flakes.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 470 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. fusilli pasta
  • 1 32 oz. jar arrabiata sauce I use Rao's
  • 4 tbsp. butter
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 large shallot minced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup pasta water

Instructions
 

  • Begin by mincing your garlic and finely chopping the shallot.
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and add in finely chopped shallot and minced garlic. Stir to cook until fragrant, about two minutes.
  • Add in entire jar of arrabiata sauce and stir. Bring up to a simmer.
  • Add in cream and stir until combined. Add in freshly grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt.
  • Add red pepper flakes and salt to taste. Start with ½ tsp. of red pepper flakes if you are sensitive to heat.
  • While the sauce is being made, prepare pasta according to packaging instructions, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.
  • Add drained, cooked pasta to the prepared sauce, along with ½ cup of pasta water and stir to completely coat.
  • Serve warm.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 470kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 14gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 1527mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More delicious pasta recipes

  • grey bowl filled with lemon caper pasta.
    Lemon Caper Pasta
  • bowl of tuna pesto pasta garnished with fresh basil.
    Tuna Pesto Pasta
  • ground chicken spaghetti dish in a bowl garnished with basil and a fork.
    Ground Chicken Spaghetti
  • Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta (Slow Cooker)

Reader Interactions

5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

headshot of blog owner.

Hi, I'm Sarah!

I am a wife, mother, and believer. I have been cooking since I can remember and love sharing recipes with all of you. You will find a variety of recipes here from healthy family dinners, to ways to prepare venison, to soups, to baked goods, anything and everything delicious.

About Sarah

Fall Recipes

  • plate of finished chicken with rice in front of slow cooker.
    Crockpot Salsa Chicken
  • loaf of honey sourdough bread surrounded by parchment paper
    Rustic Honey Sourdough Bread
  • bowl of lasagna soup topped with cheese and parsley.
    One Pot Lasagna Soup
  • two sandwiches with melted cheese on a plate
    Crockpot Chicken Giardiniera Sandwiches
  • greek pork featured
    Pepperoncini Pork Roast (Crockpot and Instant Pot)
  • bowl of chicken noodle soup
    Classic Chicken Noodle Soup with Reames Noodles

Popular Posts

  • bowl of pastina topped with parmesan cheese.
    Chicken Pastina with Egg
  • overhead of finished ranch dressing.
    Copycat Wingstop Ranch Recipe
  • thai eggplant curry featured
    Thai Eggplant Curry Recipe
  • featured image of fermented pickles without vinegar in a mason jar
    Fermented Pickles without Vinegar
  • bowl of mexican sopita with a spoon.
    Mexican Sopita (Sopa de Conchas)
  • finished burger on a plate
    Ninja Foodi Frozen Burgers (in Air Fryer)

Footer

Sign up for emails and updates!

Sign me up!
  • Copyright © 2024 Season and Thyme LLC
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Policy
  • ↑ back to top

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.