Spicy Rigatoni Pasta (Printable Version)

Rich, creamy rigatoni with mildly spicy tomato sauce. Perfectly balanced heat and savory flavors in 35 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 14 oz rigatoni pasta
02 - Salt for boiling water

→ Sauce

03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
08 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
09 - ½ cup heavy cream
10 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

12 - Fresh basil leaves, chopped
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving

# How to Prepare:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water and drain pasta.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until soft and translucent.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to develop depth of flavor.
05 - Pour in crushed tomatoes and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens.
06 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until creamy.
07 - Add drained rigatoni to sauce and toss to coat evenly. Add reserved pasta water gradually if sauce is too thick until desired consistency is achieved.
08 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Garnish with fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The sauce clings to every ridged tube of rigatoni like it was designed for this exact moment.
  • It tastes like you simmered it for hours, but you're done in half an hour.
  • You can dial the heat up or down without losing that deep, tomatoey richness.
  • It uses pantry staples you probably already have sitting around.
02 -
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it's the secret to loosening the sauce without making it watery because it's starchy and salty.
  • Don't add the cream on high heat or it can break and look grainy instead of silky.
  • If your tomato paste starts sticking to the pan, that's fine, just keep stirring and it will incorporate once the tomatoes go in.
03 -
  • Use a skillet big enough to toss the pasta in the sauce, it coats better than pouring sauce over pasta in a bowl.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the pasta and adjust the salt then, because the Parmesan and pasta water will add more.
  • If you want it even richer, stir in a tablespoon of butter at the very end for a glossy, restaurant-style finish.
Return