1Sauté Shallot: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the garlic and dry spices and cook for 1 minute. Add white wine to deglaze pan (if using).
2Add Tomatoes: Use (clean) hands to crush the whole tomatoes right into the pot, and add the rest of the juice from the can. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.
3Cook rigatoni in salted boiling water, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, and drain cooked pasta (don’t rinse).
4Blend Sauce: Use a blender or hand immersion blender to puree the sauce until smooth. Return to pot over low heat.
5Add Cream and Cheese: Stir in the heavy cream until combined. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Taste and add additional seasonings if needed.
6Serve: Add cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add some pasta water as needed, to thin the sauce. Serve pink sauce pasta garnished with fresh basil and extra parmesan cheese
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoon butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 shallot, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
2 teaspoons Dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried basil
0.25 teaspoon red chili flakes
0.25 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, San Marzano brand
1 pound rigatoni
1.25 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, for serving
Equipment
large skilletblender or hand immersion blender
Tips
Use high-quality fresh parmesan (not pre-shredded). Grate it, and allow it to come to room temperature so it will melt really smoothly.
Any bite-size pasta will work, like penne, farfalle or fusilli.
You can add cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu if you’d like.
Make the sauce ahead of time, but store the sauce and cooked pasta separately in the fridge. Add the sauce to a saucepan to rewarm then stir in the pasta.
For best results, make the sauce just until adding the cream, cheese and pasta. Allow the sauce to cool then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm in saucepan, add cream, cooked pasta, and cheese. You may freeze the fully assembled dish, the sauce may have a slightly different texture due to the cream, upon reheating, and the noodles will soak up more of the sauce, making it less “saucy”