Spicy Rigatoni with Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 onion (Finely diced)
• 6 cloves fresh garlic (Diced)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt (To taste; also use to salt the pasta water)
• 1 tbsp black pepper (Add more to taste if needed)
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (Also called red chili flakes)
• 5 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup pasta water (Reserved from cooking the rigatoni; add more if needed)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 0.5 cup unsweetened heavy whipping cream
• 0.5 pack rigatoni pasta (Pack size is not specified; cook until al dente, following package directions or for 12 minutes)
• 3 qt water (For boiling the rigatoni; salt the water)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated; reserve more for topping if desired)
• 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 and cook, stirring occasionally, until it turns brick red and begins to caramelize.

4. 4

   Pour in 1 cup of pasta water. Add the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, then cook for 1 minute.

5. 5

   Add the heavy cream and mix well to create the spicy tomato cream sauce.

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

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

8. 8

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

9. 9

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

10. 10

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

11. 11

    Serve topped with additional Parmesan and fresh basil, if desired.

Notes

The source lists both 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce and reserving 1 cup after draining; the exact amount of additional water needed is left to the cook. The rigatoni package size is not specified, so the gram estimate assumes a 16-ounce package.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• spicy
• Italian
• vegetarian
• stovetop
• quick meal