A judicious amount of heavy cream enriches this simple tomato sauce, producing a lush texture that clings to the pasta without blanketing richness. Crushing the canned tomatoes by hand creates a rustic mixture of tomato pulp, pieces, and puree.
This creamy rigatoni recipe is inspired by sommelier Derrick C. Westbrook of 1340 Beer Wine Spirits in Chicago, who named it his ideal dish for pairing with wine. “My first restaurant job was at an Italian restaurant; I’d ask the pasta cook to mix red sauce with a splash of cream, a riff on vodka sauce," he says. "I still love creamy tomato sauce on short pasta, paired with juicy, fresh red wines like Zweigelt or unoaked Cabernet Franc that offer just a touch of funk and medium acidity.”
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
When your pasta reaches al dente, and it's time to drain it, you'll want to reserve a small amount of the pasta water for the sauce. The starches in it serve as a thickening agent, helping to emulsify the sauce and aid in its ability to coat each piece of pasta. It also works wonders to revive your leftovers — splash in a bit of the water as you reheat your meal to restore texture.
Suggested pairing
This creamy rigatoni pasta pairs well with fresh red wines like Zweigelt or an unoaked Cabernet Franc.
Ingredients
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1/4 cup unsalted butter
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1 cup yellow onion, chopped
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1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled plum tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
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12 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
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1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
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1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnishing
Directions
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Julia Hartbeck
Gather the ingredients.
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Julia Hartbeck
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
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Julia Hartbeck
Add tomatoes and their juices; bring to a boil over medium.
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Julia Hartbeck
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce thickens, about 30 minutes.
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Julia Hartbeck
Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
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Julia Hartbeck
Stir cream, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper into tomato sauce. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat.
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Julia Hartbeck
Add reserved pasta cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
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Julia Hartbeck
Divide pasta evenly among four bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan and garnish with parsley.