Spicy Italian Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce
“Because here’s my thing,
I’m so sorry. We are living in a world where we could put our vodka sauce over any shape pasta. Any shape we want. And the fact that we just keep going back to penne… why the penne? Again and again and again. When we have rigatoni, we have fusilli, we have gemelli, we have orecchiette, like we can have all of these shapes yet we go back to penne time and time again. It’s done, its over, penne’s over party. Like, I’m done, I’m cancelling the penne. Please stop using penne with the vodka sauce, use a rigatoni, please I beg you.
No, I am so glad you brought this up
because I am actually so against penne. Like, it’s not an equivalent to a rigatoni, rigatoni is my favorite shape 100%. And I fear that some people think that a penne is a very similar thing, but to me they’re not the same. They’re always a lot harder than a rigatoni, a rigatoni’s like a lot softer, I like how the circle is a lot bigger, it’s a lot wider. I get it “penne alla vodka, it’s iconic” blah blah blah blah. No, it really could be rigatoni alla vodka and I feel like the pasta shape itself it’s whats like the main moment here, its the vodka sauce. And I think a lot of restaurants are catching up, and they are making the switch to rigatoni and I just want to say to those establishments, thank you.”
Okay, anyways,
that’s an audio from a popular tiktok that I find very funny, but homegirls got a point. Why are we repeatedly using penne with our vodka sauce, it is so arguably not the best pasta shape. Much more of a rigatoni gal over here and this pasta and homemade vodka sauce recipe simply slaps.
I first made this recipe a couple months back and posted it on my instagram page (@brownbutter.sage, if you haven’t already seen it), but I procrastinated actually getting the recipe up on the blog. My best friend Ellie simply couldn’t have that, she saw it and wanted to make it immediately so I had to text out the instructions and send them to her. She has since made this pasta a minimum of 10 times since, girlfriend is borderline addicted. I figured it was about time I get it written down in a formal manner. So Ellie, this ones for you.
I LOVE a homemade pasta sauce. They are typically so easy to make, so much better than store bought, and as an added bonus really impress your friends 🙂
Ingredients
All you need for this one is spicy italian sausage, shallot, olive oil, butter, tomato paste, vodka, heavy cream, fresh parm and the pasta of your choice. But I’m telling you, go with rigatoni.
Spicy Italian Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 1 lb spicy italian sausage
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes if desired for spice
- 2 shallots finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 6 oz tube tomato paste
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package instructions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water before draining.
- In a large pan over medium heat, drizzle olive oil and cook the spicy Italian sausage, breaking it up into small pieces until browned and fully cooked. Remove excess grease if needed.
- Add the diced shallots and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir to coat everything. Let it cook for 2–3 minutes to deepen the flavor.
- Pour in the vodka and let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to cook off.
- Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add the reserved pasta water and parmesan, stirring until the sauce is glossy and well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked rigatoni directly into the sauce and toss until fully coated.
- Serve with extra parmesan on top and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- Use freshly grated parmesan for the smoothest sauce (pre-shredded won’t melt the same)
- Don’t skip the pasta water — it really helps emulsify the sauce
- You can sub penne or shells, but rigatoni is best for holding the sauce
Because SEO likes links I’ll link another pasta recipe that I love here. It’s Orzo, which is very much a pasta, and a delicious one at that.