If you’re lucky enough to have an Italian grandma, you know the delicious aroma of Arrabiata sauce filling her kitchen. She was a human measuring spoon, and if she ever let you write down her recipe, it would say “a pinch” of this and “a bit more” of that. Thankfully, this month’s blend —RawSpiceBar’s Arrabiata Blend— is already mixed to perfection, with enough fire to make your feisty Nonna proud.
- When in Rome Arrabiata is a light marinara or red sauce that originated in the Lazio region of Central Italy. The official origins of modern Arrabiata are obscure, but it appears to have been perfected in Rome in the 1920s by chef Antonio Cecchini, whose restaurant was appropriately called "Le Arrabbiate."
- Bring the Heat Along with a bouquet of basil, marjoram, garlic, oregano, thyme and rosemary, the signature workhorse in this spicy “Italian Stallion” of a blend is red pepper flakes. These flakes start fast and finish strong, always going the distance.
- Get Fired Up The word "arrabiata" means “angry” in Italian. The sauce can leave some susceptible savorers ‘red in the face.’ If you’ve ever tried to eat a spicy dish and it happens to you, there’s no hiding the embarrassment. Capillaries in the face expand because of a chemical culprit in peppers called capsaicin. It acts on certain receptors in the mouth responsible for detecting heat, causing a four-alarm freak out. Mamma Mia!