If you’ve had the pleasure of dining at Carbone, you most likely tasted this goodness. If not, here is a pretty close version that you can make at home with easy to find ingredients.
Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoon jarred Calabrian chili
4 ounces tomato paste
Salt
1 28oz can San marzano tomatoes (I prefer mutti) crushed by hand
1/4 cup vodka of your choice
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound Rigatoni or conchiglie is what I used
parmigiano reggiano (Go nuts)
Over medium heat Sweat the onion in butter until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with a healthy pinch of salt
Add the Calabrian chili and garlic and cook another 3 minutes
Boiling the pasta in well seasoned water until til al dente, drain and reserve 1 cup of water
Tip in the tomato paste and cook for about 5 minutes being careful to not let it burn
Pour in the vodka and deglaze the pan by scraping any bits up from the bottom
Cook off the alcohol until almost dry about 1-2 minutes
Pour the reserved tomato and cream into the pan and simmer another 8 minutes or so
Tip into a blender and blend until til smooth (you can leave it slightly chunky if you prefer)
Return sauce to pan and adjust seasoning with salt
Add the reserved pasta back to the pan with a tablespoon of butter and 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and 1/4 cup of water, stir or toss to combine adding pasta water to your desired consistency
Enjoy topped with more freshly grated Parmesan
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