Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Who knew that some onion, garlic, tomatoes and cream could create so much flavor in so little time? All pureed into a creamy vodka sauce that’s vibrant, cheesy, a little boozy flavored, super easy and extremely delicious.
Ingredients
- 9 ounces rigatoni
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can (400 ml/14 oz) crushed tomatoes like San Marzano tomatoes
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup vodka
- 3.5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained
- 1 small jar (10 oz/280 g) roasted bell peppers drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 30 g freshly grated parmesan plus more for serving
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic and finely chop the shallots.
- Bring a large pot of generous salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add vodka to deglaze the pan and stir to incorporate, simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, cream, chili flakes and thyme, cook 3 minutes more.
- Remove from heat. Mix the sauce with an immersion blender until smooth. Add rigatoni and parmesan to the sauce, toss to combine. Adjust salt and pepper. If needed, add a splash of the pasta cooking water to thin the sauce.
- Divide pasta among bowls. Top with remaining parmesan cheese and chili flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 668kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 19gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 281mgPotassium: 737mgFiber: 7gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 786IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg
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