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ALEX’S SPICY RIGATONI / THE VIDEO
Watch it come together.
58 seconds. Then it’s your turn.
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PASTA / FROM MY KITCHEN
Cook this one by feel. Taste as you go, and keep the sauce just a little thicker than heavy cream.
Let’s cook.
Crisp diced pancetta in a little olive oil. Reserve some crispy pancetta for plating. Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving enough in the pan for the sauce.
Add diced shallots and garlic and sauté until softened and lightly caramelized. Add Peruvian yellow chili paste or Calabrian chili paste.
Remove the pan from the direct flame, carefully add 1 oz vodka, then return to the heat and simmer to reduce.
Add heavy cream and bring it to a gentle, low simmer before adding the tomato paste.
Stir in the tomato paste completely until the sauce is smooth and a rich orangey color, not pink or overly creamy.
Keep the sauce just a little thicker than heavy cream. If it reduces too much while waiting for the pasta, add a small splash of water at a time.
Add a scoop of mascarpone and mix until melted. Add Parmesan and plenty of fresh basil and let everything come together gently.
Bring a large pot of water to a full rolling boil and salt it generously. Add rigatoni only once the water is fully boiling. Stir immediately once or twice so it does not stick, and cook until al dente.
Drain the rigatoni but leave a little pasta water in the pot. Return the pasta to the same pot.
Add some sauce to the cooked pasta and toss it together briefly over low heat so the sauce reduces slightly and sticks to every piece. Reserve some sauce for plating.
Plate the rigatoni and spoon a little reserved sauce over the top.
Finish with the reserved crispy pancetta, fresh lemon zest, and a sprig of basil.
From the kitchen
The original recipe is made by eye. Adjust the unmeasured ingredients to your taste and the amount of pasta you are cooking.
