Spicy Rigatoni

With vodka, tomatoes, heavy cream and the key ingredient, Calabrian chilis, this spicy rigatoni has the perfect amount of heat and can be prepared in 20 minutes.

When it comes to weeknights, is there much better than a quick and tasty pasta dish? From penne al baffo to bucatini cacio e pepe to garlic butter pasta to pasta alla zozzona.

Penne alla vodka is another such dish. So simple but so flavorful. However what's wrong with mixing it up a little bit. And that's exactly what a well-known restaurant called Carbone did.

Now I've only been to the Miami location but the more well-known New York location introduced the world to to spicy rigatoni vodka. Using rigatoni instead of penne and adding a little heat to the dish really kicks up the pasta a notch.

Instead of just using crushed red pepper flakes, I decided to use a well-known Italian pepper called Calabrian chilis. What you end up with is a creamy and comforting pasta dish with just the right spice level.

Jump to:

• Ingredient Notes
• Ingredient Swaps
• Step-by-Step Photos
• FAQs
• Variations
• Equipment
• Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
• Other Pasta Recipes
• Spicy Rigatoni

Ingredient Notes

• Pasta - rigatoni pairs great with this simple sauce because its ridges can easily capture it.
• Shallots - adds a slightly sweet flavor to the sauce.
• Tomatoes - you need both tomato paste and puree. You want a tomato puree as it is 100% tomatoes with no additional flavors. It adds a thicker consistency and a deep tomato flavor.
• Calabrian chilis - gives a warm, hot, spicy, smoky, fruity, and pervasive flavor with the pasta dish.
• Cream - adds a richness to the sauce which enhances the flavor.
• Parmesan cheese - gives a slightly nutty, salty flavor to the sauce.

Ingredient Swaps

While this spicy rigatoni is pretty perfect, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:

• Rigatoni is in the title for a reason, but ziti, fusilli or penne work well.
• Shallots are my go-to here , but sweet, white, yellow or red onions will work as well. They all high slightly different flavors.
• If you can't find Calabrian chilis, you can use crushed red chili flakes. Just use ⅓ of the amount.
• If you don't have tomato puree, tomato sauce works in a pinch.
• I like the added creaminess from heavy cream, but half-and-half or whole milk can be substituted.

Step-by-Step Photos

Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.

Cook shallots in large skillet with olive oil over medium heat until translucent and then add the garlic, cooking for 30 seconds. Stir in the paste and Calabrian chilis, cooking for another 2 minutes. Add the vodka to deglaze the skillet.

Add the puree and cook for 10 minutes before adding in the cream, letting it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta, cheese butter and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Stir to combine and add more pasta water if needed.

FAQs

Variations

While I like the dish as is, you can customize this recipe to your preference. Some variations include:

• Pasta - while rigatoni is my go-to, ziti or penne work. Rigatoni is great for rigatoni carbonara as well.
• Protein - while this dish has no protein, ham works great but you can also use other proteins like shrimp, calamari or chicken.
• Veggies - asparagus, broccoli or peppers would complement the sauce well.
• Texture - some toasted breadcrumbs or pine nuts can add great texture and flavor.

Equipment

The equipment you use is important to how the spicy rigatoni turns out. What is needed is the following:

• Skillet/Dutch oven - you want something large enough to cook the sauce.
• Spoon - you want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
• Cheese grater - I mentioned multiple times but use a cheese block and grate yourself.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• You control the amount of heat, so if you like it spicier, increase the Calabrian chilis by 1 teaspoon until you like the spice level. If you want it less spicy reduce the amount by 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
• DO NOT overcook the pasta when boiling. You want it just al dente or slightly under. It continues to cook with the sauce.
• Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
• The butter can be omitted if you prefer. I like it as it adds some extra richness to the spicy rigatoni. You might need to add more pasta water to make up the difference.

Other Pasta Recipes

If you’ve tried this spicy rigatoni recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.