Vodka isn’t just something to make a cocktail with—it also makes a marinara sauce literally sparkle in the pan, on the plate, and in your mouth. And this Spicy Rigatoni glimmers and gleams with flavor.
Vodka holds a special place in the hearts of many people, not for what it does for beverages so much as when added to dishes—especially red sauces, stews, and goulashes. Vodka dissipates when cooked, leaving behind its spirit, literally, just its ghost—and it’s not a scary ghost, but rather the product of cooking off the alcohol sugars…. and what it does in any dish with tomatoes in it is just magic.
See, tomatoes are actually a berry, like grapes, not a vegetable. And like grapes, tomatoes contain certain compounds that are only released with the addition of alcohol. So when chefs add wine to sauces, they’re adding layers and layers of flavor, berries upon berries, grapes on tomatoes, and sugar alcohols as well. Vodka works in a very similar way. It turns out that certain tomato compounds are soluble only in alcohol—so vodka acts as a flavor activator for tomatoes, pulling whole new dimensions of flavor out of them and putting them right into that marinara sauce. In sauces where cream is added, vodka also acts as a binder, allowing the cream to bind with the marinara in a more cohesive way.
Why You and Your Family Will Love Spicy Rigatoni
There’s nothing not to love here: garlic, the rich, sweet tomato paste, red pepper flakes, which add a welcome hint of heat, vodka to ignite the tomatoes’ flavors and add sweetness, acid to enhance all the flavors present—and, it goes on from there. Heavy cream and Parmesan cheese bring their salt and sweet creaminess to the show, and fresh basil adds that herbaceous green that makes the dish really rounded out and full of flavor. This is one taste bud-pleasing dish.
You can add meats or a blend of meats to this and make it a heartier meal. Everything from chicken to hot dogs would taste good in this delicious sauce that brings such a sweet, creamy, acidic, tasty flavor to virtually any protein.
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can refrigerate this dish in an airtight container for up to three days, tops. I do not, nor does any food specialist recommend freezing dishes with heavy cream.
Serving Suggestions
This Spicy Rigatoni can act as a side or main dish, being that it does not contain meat. To make this a complete meal, add a great salad or vegetable. I love serving this with Italian Chopped Salad, and I make a loaf of this easy no-yeast Irish Soda Bread, which crisps up so nicely under the broiler when topped with garlic salt and butter. For dessert, how about these lovely Carrot Cake Mix Cookie Bars—which are so good I cannot stop making them lately. I want them. My clients want them. My roommate wants them. Even the six dogs stand with mouths agape when I fix them.
Spicy Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in vodka. Allow to simmer until the alcohol mostly evaporates, about 3 minutes.
- Lower the heat and add heavy cream, stirring well. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Mix in half of the grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and combined.
- Add cooked rigatoni to the sauce, tossing to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt to taste and serve topped with remaining Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
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