Make a batch of rigatoni pasta coated in a spicy Calabrian chili vodka sauce. This warm, hearty dish is perfect served with Italian style meatballs.
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When I'm looking for a comfort meal, I love nothing more than a big bowl of warm pasta. And this rigatoni covered in the most amazing tomato sauce, is the answer!
The vodka sauce has the perfect amount of spice, thanks to the Calabrian chili paste that I learned about while going to school in Southern Italy.
Not only will you love the flavor of this dish, but you'll also learn a few skills about making the creamiest pasta sauce.
Jump to:
What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- The technique to properly saute pasta to make a creamy sauce.
- Tips for keeping the rigatoni al dente.
- Tricks I learned in culinary school to cook pasta like an Italian.
Want to learn even more tricks for making pasta like they do in Italy? Sign up for my free email guide with 9 easy tips to improve your pasta skills.
Ingredients You Need
- Rigatoni pasta: The ridges in rigatoni pasta hold on to all the delicious sauce.
- Extra virgin olive oil: I'd always recommend a high-quality bottle of olive oil as the base for your pasta. This is the start of a creamy sauce.
- Red onion: You can substitute with a yellow onion, if preferred.
- Garlic: Fresh is always better!
- Tomato paste: This provides a rich tomato flavor base for the dish.
- Calabrian chili pepper paste: Feel free to use more or less chili pepper paste, depending on your spice tolerance.
- Vodka: No need to use an expensive vodka for this pasta, as most of it cooks off.
- Heavy cream: This amps up the creamy taste.
- Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated cheese will melt more easily. Don't buy pre-shredded parmesan, as it has an anti-caking agent that will inhibit melting.
- Salt/black pepper: It's important to taste the pasta and season as needed.
How To Make This Recipe
To prep to make this recipe, first bring a large pot of water to a boil on the stove.
1. Generously season the boiling water with coarse sea salt, then cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions until slightly softened but still firm, about 8 - 10 minutes.
2. As the pasta is cooking, it's time to make the sauce. Start by adding olive oil and onion to a saute pan. Turn the heat to medium and cook the onions until they're translucent.
Then, add in the garlic and cook, just until it's fragrant.
3. Next, add the tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste and cook for 2 minutes until the mixture darkens. Remove the saute pan from the heat (to avoid the vodka from flaming), add the vodka, then scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
4. Since the sauce is still thick at this point, I like to add a ladle (about ¼ cup or 60 ml) of pasta water to loosen the sauce. Then, transfer over the cooked pasta.
5. Now it's time to saute the pasta. This is the stage where we create a super creamy pasta sauce from an emulsion of extra virgin olive oil and starchy pasta water.
To do this, turn the heat to high and saute the pasta while vigorously stirring with a wooden spoon. Add another ladle of pasta water, pouring along the outside of the saute pan (not directly on the pasta), and continue vigorously stirring.
6. Repeat this process two to three additional times, adding more pasta water when you hear sizzling until a creamy sauce forms and the pasta is al dente.
7. Turn off the heat and add heavy cream. Finally, toss with parmesan cheese, and season as needed with salt and pepper.
8. You can optionally garnish with some additional parmesan and some basil leaves.
Expert Tips
- Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat in a pan over medium heat until warmed through.
- Be careful when cooking with vodka, especially if you cook with a gas stove. I like to turn my stove off before adding the vodka to ensure it doesn't accidentally flame.
- When cooking pasta "the Italian way", it's important to keep it al dente. This means the pasta still has a nice firm bite to it, even after it's been cooked with the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
The pasta has finished cooking once it's al dente (meaning it still has a bite to it), and the tomato sauce has become creamy. This happens as you saute the pasta with the pasta water.
Spicy vodka pasta pairs well with Italian meatballs, roasted vegetable salad, or focaccia bread.
While I love rigatoni pasta since it holds onto the sauce so well, this could also be made with regular spaghetti, orecchiette, penne, or even fusilli.
More Pasta Recipes
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Spicy Calabrian Chili Vodka Pasta
Equipment
- pot
- saute pan
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- coarse sea salt
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium red onion finely diced (about ½ cup or 70 grams)
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili pepper paste
- ⅓ cup vodka
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese plus more for garnish
- Morton kosher salt to taste
- finely ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously season with coarse sea salt. Cook rigatoni according to the package instructions until slightly softened but still firm, about 8 - 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, as the pasta is cooking, add olive oil and onion to a saute pan. Turn heat to medium and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste and cook until the mixture darkens.
- Remove the saute pan from the heat (to avoid the vodka from flaming), add vodka, and scrape off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add a ladle (about ¼ cup or 60 ml) of pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Transfer the cooked pasta over to the saute pan (reserve the pasta water). Turn heat to high and saute the pasta while vigorously stirring with a wooden spoon. Add a ladle (about ¼ cup or 60 ml) of pasta water (pour along the outside of the saute pan not directly on the pasta) and continue vigorously stirring. Repeat this process two to three additional times, adding more pasta water when you hear sizzling until a creamy sauce forms and the pasta is al dente.
- Turn off the heat and add heavy cream. Toss pasta with parmesan. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. Optionally garnish with additional parmesan.
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