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Copycat Carbone's Spicy Rigatoni

Copycat Carbone's spicy rigatoni delivers glossy rigatoni coated in a rich tomato-vodka sauce with Calabrian chili heat and plenty of Parmesan. The sauce simmers until thick, then gets its rosy sheen from heavy cream and a final Parmesan melt.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 53 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 980
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  • 1 tbsp salt for pasta water
Sauce
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup finely diced yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp Calabrian chili paste
  • 0.25 cup tomato paste
  • 0.5 cup vodka
  • 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil, torn

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Cook rigatoni
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente. Time it so the pasta still has a firm bite, then reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
Build the sauce
  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until fully liquefied and glossy. Add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
  2. Add the minced garlic and Calabrian chili paste and cook for about 1 minute. Stir to keep it fragrant without burning.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly. Keep the heat at medium so it cooks evenly.
  4. Pour in the vodka and simmer for about 3-4 minutes, stirring as needed until mostly reduced. You should see the sauce thicken as the alcohol cooks off.
  5. Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Keep it at a gentle simmer so it reduces without splattering.
  6. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce turns rosy and glossy. Season with the salt and black pepper during this stage.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted. Toss in the cooked rigatoni, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  2. Top with the torn fresh basil and extra Parmesan, then serve immediately. The sauce should cling thickly to the ridges of the rigatoni.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the sauce at a steady gentle simmer after adding tomatoes so it thickens without turning watery. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water to restore gloss. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream, expecting a slightly less glossy finish.