Spicy Creamy Tomato Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 1 small onion (Finely diced)
• 6 fresh garlic cloves (Diced)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt (To taste; also used to salt the pasta water)
• 1 tbsp black pepper (Add more to taste if needed)
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (The instructions also call these red chili flakes)
• 6 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup water for pasta sauce (Reserved pasta water)
• 3 qt water for boiling pasta (Salted; reserve 1 cup after cooking the pasta)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 0.5 cup unsweetened heavy whipping cream
• 0.5 pack rigatoni pasta (Cook according to package directions, or for 12 minutes, until al dente)
• 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Plus more for topping)
• fresh basil (For garnish; optional)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

2. 2

   Add the diced onion and garlic. Cook for 3–5 minutes, until softened and yellowed.

3. 3

   Add the tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns brick red and begins to caramelize.

4. 4

   Add the reserved pasta water to the skillet.

5. 5

   Add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute.

6. 6

   Add the heavy cream and mix well.

7. 7

   Meanwhile, heat the 3 quarts of salted water in a large pot. Once boiling, add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, following the package instructions or cooking for about 12 minutes.

8. 8

   Drain the rigatoni, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

9. 9

   Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the spicy sauce.

10. 10

    Reduce the burner heat to low and stir in the butter. Add more pasta water if needed.

11. 11

    Add the grated Parmesan cheese. Check the seasoning and add more salt and black pepper if needed.

12. 12

    Top with additional Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired, before serving.

Notes

The source specifies 1 cup of reserved pasta water in the ingredient list and instructs reserving 1 cup after boiling the pasta. The package size for the stated half pack of rigatoni is not specified; nutrition and serving estimates assume a 16-ounce package. The amount of additional Parmesan for topping is not specified.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• Italian
• vegetarian
• spicy
• creamy
• one-pot meal
• stovetop