Rigatoni stands at attention in this savory baked pie. The tender upright tubes of pasta are filled and topped with a creamy tomato-vodka sauce, turning a classic Italian dish into a vertical centerpiece.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
- One 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 cup vodka
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1 pound part-skim mozzarella, grated
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat 1/4 cup of the oil with the shallot in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Once it begins to sizzle, cook the shallot, stirring occasionally, until is soft and just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Stir in the red pepper flakes, then add the tomatoes with their juices, vodka and 1/2 cup water. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a boil, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream, bring back to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes, then puree in a blender until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon oil.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until slightly less than al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
- Stand the rigatoni on their ends in the prepared springform pan until it is completely filled (you might have leftover pasta). Put the pan on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the sauce over the pasta, spreading it with the back of a spoon (you might have leftover sauce). Sprinkle with the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover the pan with foil, doming it slightly to avoid touching the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and continue cooking until the top is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes more. Let the pasta cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan, sprinkle with basil, cut into wedges and serve.
Reviews
I’m not sure really how to rate this. This is definitely a five in terms of aesthetics and taste, but sorry I have to give it a one because it did not execute well. I was excited to make it. I read all the reviews and it came out aesthetically beautiful but alas, I could not cut a slice. It fell apart. As I was oiling the rigatoni in the pan after boiling, I thought to myself, this doesn’t seem right as the noodles will slide away from each other, and sure enough they did. I will try this again maybe without oiling the noodles after boiling perhaps they will stick together when cutting. The flavor was fantastic although I did use a bottled vodka sauce from Trader Joe’s as a base and I add my touches to it. It’s really hard to mess up pasta and sauce.
That Rigatoni Pie alla Vodka was made by Jada.
Love this recipe! Simple and easy to follow, great for after a long week to just throw it in the oven! Super tasty!!
Make sure to under cook the pasta and I added another topping of panko mixed with parm for another texture. Was a great dish.
I rounded up. It looks very impressive but a lot of work for basically baked ziti.
Frustrated… Saved this recipe for a special occasion and despite having exactly the right sized pan and 1 lb rigatoni, there was not enough pasta…so had to punt and serve a simple dish of rigatoni with vodka sauce….plus 2 extra pans to clean. Shredded mozzarella was saved for another time. Sauce was good enough. Please get your measurements right in the future.
We LOVED this recipe! It was so easy to make. Our noodles fell apart when we scooped it out, so it wasn’t pie shaped. But tasted delicious! We will definitely be making this again.
Well thought out instructions, looks good and I’m definitely doing it
How many cups of sauce for this recipe? Thinking I want to try this with Bolognaise or Genovese sauce.
Perfection! Just make sure you really use a 9″ pan. I guess mine was bigger and I needed a ton more pasta and sauce (obviously). I thought the vodka sauce was great and I’ve make (just the sauce) many times since for other recipes.