Rigatoni alla Vodka
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
0 out of 5 stars
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Ingredients
4-6 servings
- 1 pound dried rigatoni
- Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large or 2 small shallots, minced
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 cup heavy cream, to taste
- A few basil leaves, chopped, to finish
- Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, to serve
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Preparation
Step 1
Cook pasta in well-salted water until al dente, about 1 minute shy of doneness. Scoop out 1 1/2 cups of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta.
Step 2
In your empty pasta pot, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, and pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon for a moderate kick), and cook until shallots are softened but not brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3
Add vodka and cook, stirring up anything stuck, until vodka disappears.
Step 4
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the tomato paste is one shade darker.
Step 5
Add 1 cup of the reserved pasta water, scraping up any stuck tomato paste, stirring until the mixture becomes a sauce.
Step 6
Season it now with about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and many grinds of black pepper, simmer for 2 minutes.
Step 7
Add cream starting with 1/2 cup and then more, a splash at a time, until you achieve the desired shade of orange/pink.
Step 8
Add drained pasta to sauce and toss to coat, adding the last 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, as needed to loosen the sauce. Cook pasta and sauce together for 1 minute.
Step 9
Sprinkle with basil and scoop into bowls, garnishing each with parmesan or pecorino and extra red pepper flakes, to taste. Serve immediately.
Step 10
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Chef's notes
1/2 cup tomato paste is 2/3 of a 6-ounce can or all of a 4.5-ounce tube.
Depending on who you ask, the vodka serves to improve the consistency of the sauce and/or heightens the flavor and fragrance, but others argue it does nothing.
Vodka can be skipped or not cooked off for a more pronounced flavor.
