Sugared Audace Tomatoes

Tomaten Sugo Audace, Italianavera's answer to Arrabbiata

Tomaten Sugo Audace by Italianavera is a spicy tomato sauce with chili, garlic, and parsley, inspired by the Roman original, Arrabbiata. Instead of the classic name, meaning "the angry one," Diana Attianese chose the Italian word for brave or bold, implying a heat that is dramatic in a daring, not angry, way.

The Tomaten Sugo Audace from Italianavera is a spicy tomato sauce with garlic and chili, an interpretation of the Roman Sugo all'Arrabbiata, which owes its name to its fiery heat. Where the Romans speak of the "angry one," Diana Attianese calls her version simply Audace, meaning brave or bold. In the jar, ripe tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fine chili peppers, and aromatic parsley combine to create a robust, straightforward sauce.

Spicy, fiery, and hearty

This Tomaten Sugo Audace is spicy, fiery, and hearty all at once, featuring the heat of chili peppers that unfolds gradually and the savory depth of fresh garlic. The parsley provides a green, slightly earthy note that balances the heat without stifling it. The extra virgin olive oil binds these elements into a well-rounded sauce that is by no means one-dimensionally spicy.

If you warm the sauce briefly in a pan, its full aroma unfolds within 10 minutes, making it perfect for those who find Italianavera’s milder sugo recipes too reserved. Those who prefer even more heat can add an extra fresh chili pepper, while those who prefer it milder can reduce the amount used from the next jar. A small spoonful is enough to give an entire portion of pasta a distinct character.

For Rigatoni, Bruschetta, and pizza with bite

Tomaten Sugo Audace goes well with penne or rigatoni in the spirit of a classic Arrabbiata, but also works on a savory bruschetta or as a base for a pizza with an extra kick. The heat also brings variety to the table when paired with grilled vegetables or as a dip for fresh flatbread. One jar is enough for 2 to 3 servings of pasta; for those who want to spread the heat over several courses, it can be combined with a milder sauce.

If you prefer it milder and without chili, you can find an alternative in the Tomato Basil Sauce from Italianavera, or if you prefer olives and capers, go for the Tomato Olive Caper Sauce. More sauces and tomatoes from Campania can be found in the Pasta, Risotto and Sugo category in the shop.

Diana Attianese and her own word for heat

Diana Attianese had already decided against the traditional name "Puttanesca" for her tomato olive caper sauce, and she follows a similar path with Tomaten Sugo Audace. Instead of the Roman "Arrabbiata" (the angry one), she calls her version "Audace" (bold), as if heat were a character trait rather than a warning.

Growing up among the tomato fields of San Marzano sul Sarno, Diana Attianese learned early on from her mother and aunt how much heat a good cook can trust in a dish, and which tomatoes best carry the chili note—usually the ripest and meatiest of the harvest. Since 2014, she has been passing on this intuition with Italianavera, processed by 10 employees in her workshop near Nocera Inferiore.

"Audace," says Diana Attianese about the name of her spiciest sugo—brave or bold, never angry. Those who open the jar are choosing a sauce that does not hide its heat, exactly as its name promises: unmistakably Italian and uncompromising in its seasoning.