Let’s dive into Copycat Carbone Spicy Rigatoni, a dish inspired by the renowned Carbone restaurant. Imagine fiery crushed Calabrian chiles, velvety cream and tangy tomatoes swirling together in a harmonious symphony of pasta. It’s a flavour journey that will leave you wanting more!
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups finely chopped onion (about 2 medium onions)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 to 4 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chillies in oil (adjust to your preferred level of heat)
- 1 (6-ounce) tin of tomato paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 pound pipette or lumaconi pasta
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
Method of cooking:
In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the finely chopped onion and cook until soft.
Stir in the minced garlic and crushed Calabrian chillies. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir the tomato paste into the onion mixture. Cook for 2 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
Crush the whole tomatoes with your hands and add to the frying pan. Stir well.
Pour in the vodka and cook for about 1 minute. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving a rich tomato base.
Add the cream to the pan. Mix well to create a rich sauce.
Season to taste with kosher salt.
Meanwhile, cook the pipette or lumaconi pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Stir the reserved pasta water into the sauce. This will help to bind everything together.
Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly.
Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese so that it melts in the sauce.
Serve the spicy rigatoni on a plate, sprinkle with extra parmesan and enjoy the creamy, fiery goodness!
