Spicy Vodka Rigatoni Recipe
- 1 LB Felicetti Chiocciole or Rigatoni
- 2 Gloves Garlic, Sliced Thin
- 1/2 Medium Onion, sliced thin
- 3/4 Cup Cream
- 3-4 Tablespoons, Vodka
- 1 Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes, pureed
- 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 5-6 Calabrian Chilies, minced
- 1 Stem of Basil
- 1/4 Cup Parsley, finely diced for garnish
- 1/2 Cup Parm for garnish
- 2-3 Tablespoons, Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons, Unsalted Butter
- Salt
- To start, prepare the garlic, onion, tomatoes, and the Calabrian chilies. Slice up the garlic thin. Then remove the chilies seeds and mince finely. Puree your tomatoes in a food mill or a blender. Slice the onions. Chop the parsley…that will be garnish later.
- Get a pot of salted water on the stove for the pasta and a wide-bottomed pan next to it to cook the sauce.
- In the pan, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and cook over medium-high heat and cook the onions until they begin to soften and then add the basil and garlic. Once Softened, add the Calabrian Chili and red chili flake.
- Turn the heat off for a minute and then add the vodka, let it sizzle and calm down. Turn the heat back on and reduce the vodka till it’s almost nothing. Now add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes on medium heat until it reduces and becomes very thick. You can tell how thick it’s getting by dragging a flat wooden spoon across the pan and look at how the sauce holds itself. Once you’ve cooked it down till most of the water is cooked out and you can see the bottom of the pan when you mix the sauce, then its time to add the cream. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook it on a simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Then cook the pasta in the salty water.
- Once the pasta is 1-2 minutes shy of al dente, drain and transfer to the sauce and marry the sauce with the pasta for a couple of minutes until the sauce coats the pasta. Drop-in a 1-2 tablespoons of cold butter and a little pasta water to control the consistency of the sauce and then serve immediately with parm and fresh parsley.
