Another recipe I altered to be more to my liking. But ultimately just a relatively quick dinner to make after a long day that pleases everyone and usually leaves a few leftovers.
Prep time – 10 minutes / Cook time – 30 minutes
- Kosher salt
- 1 medium onion
- 4 – 6 garlic cloves
- 4 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 4.5-oz. tube double-concentrated tomato paste
- ½ tsp. chili powder
- 2 oz. vodka
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 lb. rigatoni
- 5 – 8 Basil leaves
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage crumbled and cooked
Fill a pot three-quarters full with water and heat over high.
Peel and finely chop 1 medium onion. Smash garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife and remove peel. Do not chop.
Add an entire tube of tomato paste and chili powder and stir until paste evenly coats the onion. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the paste is deep red and starting to brown, 5–7 minutes.
Add vodka to deglaze pan and stir to incorporate, scraping bottom of the pot. Reduce heat to low.
Using a heatproof glass measuring cup, scoop about ¼ cup boiling water from the pot, then add heavy cream to the measuring cup so the cream won’t break when you add it to the pot.
Slowly add warmed cream to the Dutch oven, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms. Remove from heat. Toss basil leaves into sauce and stir.
Add 1 lb. rigatoni to a pot of boiling salted water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. About 1 minute before the timer goes off, use a heatproof measuring cup to scoop up about 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Heat the Dutch oven over low. Using a spider, transfer rigatoni to the Dutch oven along with any water that’s piggybacking on the pasta.
Add ½ cup pasta cooking liquid to the Dutch oven and stir to incorporate, then gradually add half of Parmesan, stirring constantly to melt cheese. You should have a smooth, glossy sauce that coats the pasta.
