Spicy Rigatoni Pasta (Printable version)

Creamy pasta with mildly spicy tomato sauce, Parmesan, and fresh basil. Ready in under 35 minutes for four servings.

# What You 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 Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3-4 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 caramelize slightly.
05 - Pour in crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 8-10 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 2-3 minutes until creamy.
07 - Add drained rigatoni to sauce and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
08 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish immediately with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The creamy tomato sauce coats each piece of rigatoni so thoroughly that every forkful tastes complete and satisfying.
  • You can dial the spice up or down without sacrificing the rich, balanced flavor that makes this feel like comfort food with a little edge.
  • It comes together in about half an hour with ingredients you probably already have, which means dinner can happen even on the nights when you're running on fumes.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it contains starch that helps the sauce stick to the rigatoni and creates a silky texture you can't get from plain water.
  • If you add the cream while the heat is too high, it can separate and look grainy instead of smooth, so always reduce to low first.
  • Tasting the sauce before adding the pasta is crucial because once everything is mixed, adjusting seasoning becomes harder and less effective.
03 -
  • Use a skillet that's large enough to toss the pasta in the sauce without it spilling over the sides, this makes mixing so much easier.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh from a block instead of using pre-grated cheese, it melts smoother and tastes sharper.
  • If the sauce looks broken or oily after adding the cream, a quick splash of pasta water and a vigorous stir will bring it back together.
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