Looking for a pasta that is loaded with flavor, comforting and also packs some heat? Well this spicy rigatoni pasta recipe is the dish for you. This is the perfect weeknight dinner dish thats both
Why you'll love it
- Ready in less than 20 minutes
- Perfect comfort food, what's not to love about a bowl of indulgent and flavorful pasta?!
- Great for meal prepping, can be made into large batches and stores for days.
- Packed with flavor, from the richness of the cream sauce to the spice of the calabrian chiles.
- This versatile pasta can be served on its own or as a great side dishes to dishes like chicken parm.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- Cream cheese
- Tomato paste
- Rigatoni or a pasta of your choice
- Pasta water
- Heavy cream
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Parsley
Instructions
In a large sauce pan, add your pasta and cover with water and salt generously. Cook til al dente over medium heat.
While you pasta is cooking. in a large skillet place the olive oil and shallots then set heat to medium heat.
Cook the shallots for one minute then add in your garlic. Be sure to toss and stirr the shallots and garlic to ensure they don't burn for an additional 2 minutes.
Add in to the skillet the tomato paste and calabrian chilis. Drop the heat to low and stir vigorously to remove all clumps.
Add in your cream cheese and stir until well incorporated. Once smooth, add in your heavy cream and stir gently to combine. Taste test the sauce and add desired salt and pepper.
Once your pasta has cooked, strain the pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.
Add the reserved pasta water to your sauce and stir to combine.
Then add your cooked pasta into the sauce and gently fold the pasta into the sauce to fully coat each noodle.
Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.
Variations/Substitutions
Don't like rigatoni? Use whatever past shape you like! You can use penne, fusilli, radiatori, cavatappi or even farfalle.
Don't have cream cheese for this Carbone copycat recipe? You can use mascarpone.
Want to give your pasta an extra kick? Swap out the pasta water for vodka.
Want your spicy rigatoni pasta to be extra spicy? Add in some crushed red pepper flakes to your sauce.
Storage
Store leftover this Carbone inspired rigatoni pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat your pasta in the microwave. I like to get a paper towel and damp it with some water then place it over the pasta so it doesn't dry out.
I do not recommend freezing this pasta.
Check out these other dishes
Spicy Rigatoni Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon crushed Calabrian chili peppers
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ lb rigatoni or a pasta of your choice
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Parsley garnish
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, add your pasta and cover with water and salt generously. Cook til al dente over medium heat.
- While you pasta is cooking. in a large skillet place the olive oil and shallots then set heat to medium heat.
- Cook the shallots for one minute then add in your garlic. Be sure to toss and stirr the shallots and garlic to ensure they don't burn for an additional 2 minutes.
- Add in to the skillet the tomato paste, calabrian chilis and cream cheese. Drop the heat to low and stir vigorously to remove all clumps.
- Once smooth, add in your heavy cream and stir gently to combine. Taste test the sauce and add desired salt and pepper.
- Once your pasta has cooked, strain the pasta and reserve ¼ cup of pasta water.
- Add the reserved pasta water to your sauce and stir to combine.
- Then add your cooked pasta into the sauce and gently fold the pasta into the sauce to fully coat each noodle.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy.
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