Creamy, cozy, and a little spicy. One of my favorite pastas when I want something easy but still feels a little indulgent
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 10 oz Rigatoni (or favorite pasta)
- ½ cups medium yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons Calabrian chili (depending on spice)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ⅓ cup vokda
- 24 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Parmesan
- Basil
Preperation
- In a large pot of salted water to a boil. Salt it so it tastes like a well-seasoned soup. Add pasta, remove 2 minutes before it's done. Save 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a different pan, heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, Calabrian chili, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft.
- Add the tomato paste to the onion mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it darkens and starts to stick slightly.
- Pour in the vodka and scrape up any browned bits. Cook for 1–2 minutes, until mostly reduced.
- Add the cherry tomatoes and a generous pinch of salt. Turn the heat up and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and continue cooking if needed until the sauce is thick and jammy.
- Blend the sauce until smooth, then strain it back into the pan.
- Optional step: if it's too acidic add a pinch of sugar to taste
- Add the heavy cream and stir. Add enough to get the color and creaminess you like.
- Add the rigatoni to the sauce with a splash of pasta water. Toss over the heat until the pasta finishes cooking and the sauce clings to the noodles.
- Turn off the heat. Add the butter and Parmesan (to taste), then toss until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve with extra Parmesan and Basil on top.