Spicy Rigatoni Recipe
This Carbone copycat spicy rigatoni is rich, creamy, and loaded with bold heat from Calabrian chilis. Easy enough for a weeknight meal, but impressive enough for any special occasion.
Servings: 4
Calories: 641kcal
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dry rigatoni (or small pasta shape of choice)
spicy vodka sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup minced sweet onion
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons vodka
- 2/3 cup crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- salt and pepper to taste
garnishes
- chopped basil leaves
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful salt to water and add pasta. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until soft with a small ‘bounce’, 8-9 minutes.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1/3 cup pasta water, and set both aside.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Once skillet is hot add oil and sauté onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, or until aromatics begin to slightly caramelize. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add tomato paste and stir together. Continue to stir until paste turns bright red, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Deglaze skillet with vodka and stir together until vodka evaporates. Stir in crushed chili peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add reserved pasta water to skillet and stir together until smooth, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir cream into sauce until mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer together, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and continue to simmer until sauce is smooth, glossy and has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2-to 3 minutes.
- Stir in butter, in small pieces until fully melted and sauce is glossy.
- Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss together until fully coated. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve with more grated Parmesan, basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Serve.
Video
Notes
Variations
While we recommend making this recipe as written for the most authentic flavor, it's incredibly forgiving and easy to adjust to fit your tastes and what you have on hand. Try some of these substitutions or variations if you need:
- If you can't find Calabrian chili's, swap them out for:
- Calabrian chili paste: The paste could be more concentrated, so start with one to two tablespoons and adjust as needed.
- Harissa paste: has a smokier flavor, but still adds a kick of spice.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: easier to find and adds a gentle spiciness to the dish. Since chili pepper flakes are more spicy by volume, start with just one to one and a half teaspoons and add more as needed.
- For a dairy-free spicy rigatoni:
- Swap heavy cream with equal parts coconut cream, unsweetened plain oatmilk, or a homemade cashew cream (soaked and softened cashews blended with a tablespoon or two of water).
- Swap the Pecorino Romano cheese with a plant-based parmesan cheese substitute or a quarter to half the amount of nutritional yeast.
- For a gluten-free spicy riagatoni, swap regular pasta with a gluten-free variety including an alternative like chickpea, brown rice, or edamame pasta.
- Swap rigatoni for another small noodle like penne, ziti, or elbow noodles.
- Make this sauce alcohol-free by substituting chicken or vegetable broth for the vodka.
Nutrition
Calories: 641kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 1194mg | Potassium: 501mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1395IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 2mg