Carbone's Spicy Rigatoni Vodka Copycat

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion (julienned into matchsticks)
• 1 tbsp Unsalted Butter (for onion soubise)
• 1 tbsp Water
• salt (pinch for onions)
• 3.5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3-4 tbsp used for infusing)
• 3 Garlic (whole cloves, crushed)
• 1 basil sprig (with stem)
• 28 oz tomato passata
• 1 tbsp salt (for tomato compote)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Calabrian Chili Paste
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter (for finishing sauce)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 14 oz Lumache or Mezze Maniche rigatoni (Lumache is preferred for its curl)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the onion soubise: Peel and julienne the yellow onion into thin matchsticks.

2. 2

   Melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter in a pan over low heat. Add the julienned onion, 1 tablespoon of water, and a pinch of salt.

3. 3

   Cook the onions over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they soften and become jammy. Do not allow them to brown; they should remain pale and sweet.

4. 4

   Prepare the tomato compote: In a separate large pan, heat 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic cloves and the whole basil sprig (stem included) to infuse the oil.

5. 5

   Once the oil is fragrant, remove and discard the garlic and basil sprig.

6. 6

   Pour the tomato passata into the infused oil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

7. 7

   Cook the tomato mixture, stirring vigorously to emulsify the oil into the sauce, until it thickens significantly. You should be able to draw a line through the sauce with a spoon and have it hold its shape.

8. 8

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.

9. 9

   To the thickened tomato compote, add the prepared onion soubise, 2 tablespoons of Calabrian chili paste, 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir until well combined and creamy.

10. 10

    Toss the cooked pasta into the sauce, ensuring every piece is well coated. Serve immediately.

Notes

The creator notes that while the retail jarred version of Carbone sauce contains vodka, the restaurant version famously does not. Lumache pasta is recommended because its natural curl mimics the house-made rigatoni used at the restaurant.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• spicy
• copycat
• vegetarian
• dinner
• restaurant-style