Classic Rigatoni Vodka

Name: Classic Rigatoni Vodka
Cook time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 12 cloves of Garlic, enough to cover one layer at the bottom of a small pot; 1 cup Neutral Oil, to submerge garlic; 1/4 cups Cherry Peppers, red preferred; 1 tbsp Calabrian Chili, chopped, with some oil; 2 1/2 tbsp Cherry Pepper Brine; 2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from roasting garlic; 1 Onion, small, or a few shallots; 2 cloves of Garlic; Some Salt, for seasoning onions and sauce; 2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from the bomba, or olive oil; 1 tbsp Butter, a knob; 4oz Pancetta, or guanciale; diced or thinly sliced and cut into bits, for fat rendering; 200g Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, whole tub; 1/2 cups Vodka; 3/4 cups Tomato Passata, or tomato puree; 3 tbsp Roasted Garlic Bomba, or more to taste; 1/2 cups Heavy Cream, to achieve neon orange color; 1 lb Rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni preferred; 1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated; 3 tbsp Butter, cold, a few tablespoons; Some Parsley, fresh leaves, for garnish

A rich, spicy rigatoni in a creamy tomato-vodka sauce brightened with roasted garlic and Calabrian heat. Pancetta adds savory depth and finishing butter and Parmigiano give a silky, clingy finish—classic, bold, and restaurant-worthy at home.

A rich, spicy rigatoni in a creamy tomato-vodka sauce brightened with roasted garlic and Calabrian heat. Pancetta adds savory dept... Show more

By NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW · Original recipe

Health Grade

C- · Balanced

Time

35 min

Price

2,73 €

Calories

1192 kcal

low sugar

kid friendly

comfort food

italian

Method

Roast the garlic

Add enough peeled Garlic cloves to cover the bottom of a small pot in a single layer. Pour in Neutral Oil until the cloves are fully submerged. Set the pot over medium-high heat and watch closely; when the oil is hot and the garlic just starts to take on a little color at the edges, lower the heat to low and cook about 10 minutes, until the cloves are soft, pale golden, and easily pierced with a knife. Turn off the heat and let the garlic cool in the oil.

Blend the bomba

Strain the cooled garlic, reserving the oil. Add the softened garlic to a blender with Cherry Peppers, Calabrian Chili, Cherry Pepper Liquid, and a spoonful or two of Roasted Garlic Oil. Blend until smooth, adding a little more oil as needed to make a spreadable, pourable puree. Taste it and set the roasted garlic bomba aside.

Prep the aromatics

Peel the Onion and slice it thinly; you want roughly 1/2 cup. Slice a few more cloves of garlic thinly as well. Cut the Pancetta into small dice or thin bite-size strips so it will render quickly and distribute nicely through the pasta.

Render the pancetta

Set a wide saucepan or saucier over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved roasted garlic oil and a knob of Butter. When the butter melts and foams, add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until it renders its fat and turns lightly browned but still a little meaty, not brittle. Use a slotted spoon to transfer most of the pancetta to a plate, leaving the flavorful fat behind in the pan.

Soften onion and garlic

Add the sliced onion to the rendered fat, season lightly with Salt, and cook over medium heat until softened, translucent, and a little sweet-smelling, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sliced garlic and keep cooking 4 to 5 minutes more, lowering the heat if needed so the garlic softens without browning.

Caramelize tomato paste

Add the whole tub of Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste to the pan and season lightly with a little more salt. Cook it in the fat, stirring and scraping constantly, until the color shifts from bright red to a deeper brick-red and the paste smells sweet and concentrated. This takes several minutes and builds the backbone of the sauce, so do not rush it.

Deglaze with vodka

Turn off the heat for a moment, then pour in the Vodka. Stir and scrape up anything clinging to the bottom of the pan, then return the pan to medium-high heat and cook until the sharp alcohol smell softens and most of the liquid has reduced away.

Build the sauce

Pour in the Tomato Passata and stir until smooth. Add about 3 tablespoons of the Roasted Garlic Bomba, or more if you want extra heat and peppery depth. Let the sauce simmer gently 5 to 10 minutes so the tomato, roasted garlic, and chilies meld together and the texture thickens slightly.

Add the cream

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and slowly stream in Heavy Cream, stirring constantly so it emulsifies smoothly. Add enough cream to turn the sauce a vivid neon orange and give it the richness you want. Taste and adjust with more salt if needed.

Boil the rigatoni

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the Rigatoni and cook it 2 minutes less than the package directs so it can finish in the sauce. Before draining, reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the starchy pasta water.

Finish the pasta

Bring the sauce back to medium heat if needed. Stir half of the reserved pancetta back into the sauce and add a tiny splash more vodka for brightness if you like; let it bubble briefly. Add the drained rigatoni to the pan along with a ladle or two of pasta water. Toss and cook 3 to 4 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed, until the pasta is al dente and the sauce clings to every groove. Take the pan off the heat and add a few tablespoons of cold butter along with a generous handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Toss vigorously until the butter and cheese melt into a silky, glossy coating.

Plate and garnish

Spoon the rigatoni into warm bowls or onto a serving platter. Scatter the remaining pancetta over the top, finish with a little more Parmigiano, and add Parsley leaves for a fresh final note. Serve right away while the sauce is glossy and loose.

Ingredients

Method

For 4 servings

Adjust servings

For The Spicy Roasted Garlic Bomba (optional)

12 cloves of Garlic, enough to cover one layer at the bottom of a small pot
1 cup Neutral Oil, to submerge garlic
1/4 cups Cherry Peppers, red preferred
1 tbsp Calabrian Chili, chopped, with some oil
2 1/2 tbsp Cherry Pepper Brine
2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from roasting garlic

For The Rigatoni Vodka Sauce

1 Onion, small, or a few shallots
2 cloves of Garlic
Some Salt, for seasoning onions and sauce
2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from the bomba, or olive oil
1 tbsp Butter, a knob
4oz Pancetta, or guanciale; diced or thinly sliced and cut into bits, for fat rendering
200g Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, whole tub
1/2 cups Vodka
3/4 cups Tomato Passata, or tomato puree
3 tbsp Roasted Garlic Bomba, or more to taste
1/2 cups Heavy Cream, to achieve neon orange color
1 lb Rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni preferred
1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
3 tbsp Butter, cold, a few tablespoons
Some Parsley, fresh leaves, for garnish

🧂 Plus ~3g of salt

Nutrition

Per Serving.

Calories

1192 kcal

60% of Daily kcal

Protein

35 g

70% RDI

Fat

66 g

24g sat fat

Carbs

115 g

42% RDI

Sugar

17 g

33% RDI

Fiber

7.6 g

25% RDI

Salt

5.1 g

100% RDI

Quality Profile

Scored against dietary guidelines.
Tap rows for a deeper breakdown.

Composite score - weighted by current nutrition science

C- · 5.6 / 10

Comments

Click to rate

Ingredients

For 4 servings

Adjust servings

For The Spicy Roasted Garlic Bomba (optional)

12 cloves of Garlic, enough to cover one layer at the bottom of a small pot
1 cup Neutral Oil, to submerge garlic
1/4 cups Cherry Peppers, red preferred
1 tbsp Calabrian Chili, chopped, with some oil
2 1/2 tbsp Cherry Pepper Brine
2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from roasting garlic

For The Rigatoni Vodka Sauce

1 Onion, small, or a few shallots
2 cloves of Garlic
Some Salt, for seasoning onions and sauce
2 tbsp Roasted Garlic Oil, from the bomba, or olive oil
1 tbsp Butter, a knob
4oz Pancetta, or guanciale; diced or thinly sliced and cut into bits, for fat rendering
200g Mutti Double Concentrated Tomato Paste, whole tub
1/2 cups Vodka
3/4 cups Tomato Passata, or tomato puree
3 tbsp Roasted Garlic Bomba, or more to taste
1/2 cups Heavy Cream, to achieve neon orange color
1 lb Rigatoni, mezzi rigatoni preferred
1/2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated
3 tbsp Butter, cold, a few tablespoons
Some Parsley, fresh leaves, for garnish

🧂 Plus ~3g of salt

Watch

Original video

Uploaded 4 months ago

NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW

189K7K

Classic Rigatoni Vodka

Method

Roast the garlic

Blend the bomba

Prep the aromatics

Render the pancetta

Soften onion and garlic

Caramelize tomato paste

Deglaze with vodka

Build the sauce

Add the cream

Boil the rigatoni

Finish the pasta

Plate and garnish

Ingredients

Method

For The Spicy Roasted Garlic Bomba (optional)

For The Rigatoni Vodka Sauce

Nutrition

Calories

Protein

Fat

Carbs

Sugar

Fiber

Salt

Quality Profile

Comments

Ingredients

For The Spicy Roasted Garlic Bomba (optional)

For The Rigatoni Vodka Sauce

Watch

NOT ANOTHER COOKING SHOW

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