Creamy Spicy Rigatoni Pasta
My Spicy rigatoni pasta is the perfect balance of creamy, rich and spicy. Made with a tomato and chilli sauce, al dente rigatoni and plenty of parmesan, this comforting pasta dish is my go to easy dinner and comes together in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 400 g rigatoni
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika & 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 handful chopped basil
- 250 ml double cream
- 50 g grated parmesan plus extra to serve
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil to garnish (optional)
Instructions
Fry the onions and garlic
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add Tomato purée
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1–2 minutes to caramelise slightly.
Cook the pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
Create the sauce
- Pour in the double cream, spices and chopped basil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Combine
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce. Toss well, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce. Add the parmesan at this stage too.
Serve
- Season to taste. Top with extra parmesan and fresh basil. Serve immediately while hot and creamy.
Video
Notes
TOP TIPS
- Always reserve pasta water, it helps loosen the sauce.
- Add fresh basil rather than dried, trust me!
- The secret to my creamy rigatoni is cooking your pasta until it’s perfectly al dente. If that sounds a little fancy, it simply means the pasta should still have a slight bite to it rather than being soft and mushy. Plus al dente pasta holds onto the creamy tomato sauce beautifully and gives the dish a more authentic Italian texture.