Carbone in New York’s Greenwich Village is one of the best Italian restaurants around, and it’s renowned for its spot-on renditions of classic Italian-American favorites. One of the stars of its menu is a simple platter of rigatoni coated in a creamy, spicy sauce (called Spicy Rigatoni Vodka on the menu, even though it doesn’t actually contain any vodka), and it can easily be replicated in your kitchen with just a handful of pantry staples.
New York-based recipe developer, blogger and “Food Network Star” finalist Jason Goldstein has created a copycat version of Carbone’s recipe, and you might already have all the ingredients handy.
Carbone’s recipe traditionally starts with Calabrian chile paste. If you don’t have that available, you can approximate the flavor by cooking one 6-ounce can of tomato paste in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. After a couple minutes, add 2 to 3 teaspoons of red chile flakes, depending on how spicy you like it.
Then, add three chopped garlic cloves and let cook for 30 seconds before adding 2 cups of cream. Whisk until all the tomato paste has dissolved and let the sauce continue to cook until slightly thickened, about two minutes. Add 1 pound of cooked rigatoni or penne and stir to combine.
Copycat Carbone’s Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
1 pound ziti, rigatoni or penne1 6-ounce can tomato paste
3 tablespoons extra olive oil
2 cups cream
3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
2-3 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Cook pasta as directed.In a pot, add oil and tomato paste to medium heat. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes, then add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add cream and whisk to combine. Cook on medium-low for two minutes to thicken. Add pasta and combine.
