Rigatoni With Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce

Well we have a ham, pasta with vodka sauce we love, and I thought I would try this vegetarian, lighter and spicier cousin of that dish. The tomato portion was pretty spicy when I tasted it. I had started a bit earlier than I needed to so I tasted it and put it off the heat still with the lid ajar.  If you love this sauce, you could make batches up to this point and freeze it, but I haven't tried this yet.  I would then gently reheat it and add the cream and cheese etc... and finish the recipe.  It was a bit spicy; I felt no need to add the additional red pepper flakes and even added a touch more cream to try and tame the heat.  If you are not a spicy lover, I would recommend halving the red pepper flakes initially.  You can always spice it up later.  I liked the omission of the ham, but missed the smokiness.  My husband added ham to his because he missed it in this dish.  Next time I make this I will add a few drops of liquid smoke to it and see how that goes.

Rigatoni With Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce

2 ea garlic,minced
3/4 t  crushed red pepper flakes more to taste
2    Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1    28-oz. can diced tomatoes
3    Tbs. vodka
1/2 c  freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 c  chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3    Tbs. heavy cream
1/2 t  kosher salt
1/2 t  freshly ground black pepper
3/4 lb rigatoni (about 4 cups)
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the garlic
and red pepper flakes in the oil until theyre fragrant and sizzle
steadily for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and
the vodka, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a steady simmer,
cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook to intensify the flavors
and reduce the sauce slightly (by about one-quarter), 10 to 15 min.
Pure the tomatoes using a hand blender or a regular blender. If you
used a regular blender to pure, return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir
in 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, the parsley, cream, salt and pepper, and
more red pepper flakes if you like. Simmer to incorporate the cream and
reduce the sauce slightly, about 5 min. Reduce the heat to low, cover,
and keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until its just tender
to the tooth, 10 to 12 min. Drain well and return the pasta to its pot.
Add the sauce, set the pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, to let
the pasta absorb some of the sauce, 1 min. Serve immediately with a
sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano.

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