You’ll soon understand why this dish was deemed King Pasta! From the tender, filling pasta noodles to the rich, creamy, tomato sauce, it’s easy to see why it would be appointed as the pasta dish to rule all pasta dishes! The most royal of 30-minute meals, King Pasta is definitely a dish of the people. It’s sure to please and be loved by many!
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, optional, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup vodka
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- water, to taste
- kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound rigatoni or penne pasta, cooked
- 1/4 cup Grana Padano or parmesan cheese, grated
For serving:
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- Grana Padano or parmesan cheese, to taste, grated
Directions
Step 1 –Heat the oil in a deep, 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
Step 2 –Add the pancetta to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3 –Add the onion, the garlic, and the red pepper flakes to the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes.
Step 4 –Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 5 –Add the vodka to the onion mixture and cook until it reduces by half, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 6 –Stir the tomatoes into the sauce mixture. Then, fill the empty tomato can up halfway with the water and swish it around to loosen the remaining tomato juices on the inside.
Step 7 –Pour 1/4 of the water into the sauce mixture and simmer until it begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add more of the water if the sauce is too thick.
Step 8 –Season the sauce with the salt and the pepper.
Step 9 –Reduce the heat to low.
Step 10 –Add the cream to the sauce and cook, while stirring, until it becomes a pink-rust color, about 1 minute.
Step 11 –Stir the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of the Grana Padano into the sauce and toss to coat.
Step 12 –Season the sauce with the salt and the pepper.
Step 13 –Top the pasta with the oregano and the parsley.
Step 14 –Sprinkle with the remaining Grana Padano cheese and serve.
