Being the lover of all pasta dishes, it should come as no surprise that in my top five favorite pasta dishes is Rigatoni Alla Vodka. This one is easy to make, especially on a weeknight and is sure to please you and your family alike. I’ve taken the recipe from Pasta by Missy Robbins and made some modifications by adding a cup of the starchy pasta water to help make the sauce a bit thicker and brothier and have also added about a half cup more of the heavy cream. I’ve been to restaurants as of late that make their pasta sauces like that and it’s now my favorite way to make saucy pastas. I hope you enjoy this comforting and delicious bowl of pasta alla vodka.
Rigatoni Alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz box Mezzi Rigatoni, #26
- 1 cup starchy pasta water
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28 oz. can passata
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
- red pepper flakes, to taste
Prepare
- First, fill a pot with water about 1/2 of way and bring to a boil. Boil the rigatoni for about 10 minutes or until al dente.
- Strain the pasta and reserve one cup of the starchy pasta water.
- In the same pot saute onion with olive oil for about 5 – 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add in the garlic and cook/stir for one more minute. Add the passata, tomato paste, and vodka and let the sauce simmer on medium for about 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, unsalted butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and freshly cracked black pepper, the pasta, stir and simmer for another five minutes.
- Serve immediately and top with additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. black pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. Enjoy!
