Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce
This Baked Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce takes a twist on the classic Baked Ziti for a delicious dish that everyone will love.
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- 1 oven safe shallow dutch oven or baking dish big enough to fit one pound of cooked pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb mezzi rigatoni
- 1 small yellow onion or shallot thinly sliced
- 5-6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- ¼ cup vodka
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves torn
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmiagiano-Reggiano plus more
- 15 oz Polly-O Whole Milk Ricotta
- 16 oz sliced fresh mozzarella
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Also put a pot of water, covered, on the stove and bring to a boil.
- Add a tbs or 2 of olive oil to a shallow ditch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic along with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 6-8 minutes, making sure not the burn the onions and garlic (lower heat if needed).
- Add the tomato paste and stir to break up. Cook until it becomes a deep brick red, about 6 minutes. Once there, turn off the heat and add the vodka. Cook for a few minutes, or until you cannot smell strong alcohol. Return to heat.
- Now slowly stir in the heavy cream until incorporated. Add the red pepper flakes and torn basil. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. (I like to add a pinch of salt and the pasta to the boiling water at this time.)
- Once the pasta is 1 minute shy of al dente, reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain and set aside.
- Once the vodka sauce is a beautiful orange, add the ¼ cup of Parm and stir to combine. Remove from the heat and add the pasta directly to the sauce along with a bit of the pasta water if needed. Stir to combine.
- Dot the ricotta all over the pasta, then top with the mozzarella and some more freshly grated parm.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sides are bubbling. Note: I like to change to the broil setting at the last 5-10 minutes to get a charred look. Make sure to keep an eye on the pasta if you do this.
- Add some more parm and torn basil to the top before serving.