Description
This Creamy Tomato Rigatoni Pasta is a comforting, flavorful dish featuring a rich tomato sauce blended with cream and infused with garlic and onions. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it combines the hearty texture of rigatoni pasta with a silky, tangy sauce, garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for added freshness and depth.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Pasta
- 1 pound dried rigatoni pasta
Garnish (optional)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Prepare the base: Melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Simmer the tomato sauce: Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Cook the pasta: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni pasta and cook for 1 minute less than the package instructions to achieve al dente texture. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Return the sauce to medium heat. Stir in the heavy cream and reserved pasta water, bringing it back to a simmer. Add the drained pasta to the sauce and gently stir until the rigatoni is well coated.
- Garnish and serve: Serve the creamy tomato rigatoni garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- For a spicier version, increase the red pepper flakes to taste.
- Use gluten-free rigatoni pasta to make this dish gluten-free.
- For a lighter option, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a lower fat cream alternative, but the sauce will be less rich.
- To deepen the flavor, add a splash of red wine when simmering the tomatoes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
