Description
A creamy, spicy rigatoni vodka pasta cooked on a grill for a smoky flavor, featuring a rich tomato-vodka sauce with fresh basil and Parmesan.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450g) Rigatoni pasta
- 3 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 1 medium Yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Red pepper flakes (plus more for serving)
- 1 can (28oz) Crushed tomatoes (San Marzano recommended)
- 1 cup (240ml) Heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Vodka
- 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon Salt (for pasta water)
Instructions
- Set up your grill for indirect medium-high heat (375°F-400°F). Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
- Cook rigatoni until al dente (1-2 minutes less than package directions). Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Place a large cast iron skillet on the indirect heat zone. Add butter and let it melt/foam.
- Add diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes to toast it.
- Carefully pour in vodka and simmer for 2 minutes to cook off alcohol.
- Add crushed tomatoes and stir well.
- Simmer sauce for 5-7 minutes until slightly thickened. Add a splash of pasta water if too thick.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and warm through for 1-2 minutes without boiling.
- Add drained rigatoni to the skillet and toss to coat. Add more pasta water if needed.
- Remove from heat. Stir in fresh basil and half of the Parmesan cheese.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with remaining Parmesan and extra red pepper flakes.
Notes
Use indirect heat to prevent the cream sauce from burning. Save starchy pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with olive oil, heavy cream with coconut cream, and Parmesan with nutritional yeast. For gluten-free, use gluten-free rigatoni.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approx. 1
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 420
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 16
Keywords: rigatoni vodka pasta, spicy pasta, grill recipes, outdoor cooking, one-pan pasta, creamy tomato sauce, weeknight dinner