Rigatoni alla Vodka

The provenance of this comforting pasta dish spiked with vodka is debated, but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming a popular Italian-American restaurant staple. The thinking is that the vodka tenderizes the tomatoes. Don’t worry, you can’t taste the alcohol—all you’ll detect is a delicious, creamy sauce with a little bit of heat. If you like spicy food, try using pepper-infused vodka for an extra kick.

Cuisine

Italian

Course

Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

30-60 min

Diet

Vegetarian

Cooking Technique

Pressure Cook

Keywords

30-60 min, 4 servings, contributed, cook 25 min, crushed tomatoes, dry rigatoni pasta, easy, fresh basil leaves, heavy cream, italian, Ivy Manning, main course, medium, pecorino romano cheese, prep 10 min, pressure cook, red chile flakes, salt and pepper, tomato paste, unsalted butter, vegetarian, vodka

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

25 min

Servings

4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves medium
2 tablespoons tomato paste
14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
12 ounces dry rigatoni pasta
1 pinch red chile flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Put the butter in the pot, select Sauté, and adjust to Normal/Medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 45 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and vodka and simmer for 1 minute to boil off some of the alcohol. Press Cancel.
Add the rigatoni, red chile flakes, 2 1/2 cups cold water, 1 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Lock on the lid, select the Pressure Cook function, and adjust to Low pressure for 6 minutes. Make sure the steam valve is in the “Sealing” position and that the “Keep Warm” button is off.
When the cooking time is up, quick-release the pressure. Remove the lid. Add the cream and stir to combine. Let the pasta stand in the pot, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the sauce to thicken. Stir the cheese and basil into the pasta and season with salt and black pepper.

Previous Next