From the roundup: 22 Quick 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights
This stovetop rigatoni with spicy tomato cream sauce is the pasta I make when I have 30 minutes and no patience for a complicated dinner. The sauce comes together in the same pot you boiled the pasta in, which means one less thing to wash and one less thing to explain to whoever is asking what’s for dinner.
The active work here is maybe 10 minutes: mincing garlic, watching it in the pan, pouring in the tomatoes. The rest is just letting the sauce reduce and then tossing in the pasta. The cream goes in at the end, so it doesn’t have to cook long, just long enough to turn the sauce that orange-pink color that means it’s ready.
One thing I learned the hard way: pull the rigatoni a full minute before the package says it’s done. It keeps cooking in the sauce, and if you start with fully cooked pasta you’ll end up with something soft and a little sad by the time it hits the table.
Why you will love this
- One pot from start to finish, the pasta water pot becomes the sauce pot so cleanup is fast.
- The red pepper flakes are adjustable, start with 1/4 tsp if you have kids at the table who don’t love heat.
- Heavy cream balances the acidity in the tomatoes without any extra steps or ingredients.
- Parmesan stirred in off the heat thickens the sauce naturally and gives it a little body.
- Leftovers reheat well with just a splash of water, which makes it worth cooking the full batch.
Tips for success
- Scoop out at least a full cup of pasta water before you drain. It sounds like a lot but you’ll use it, the sauce thickens fast once the pasta goes in.
- Watch the garlic closely in step two. It goes from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds and burnt garlic makes the whole sauce taste bitter, not spicy.
- Let the tomato sauce actually reduce for the full 8 to 10 minutes before you add the cream. If you rush it, the sauce will be thin and taste a little raw from the can.
- Serve immediately. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it sits, so if everyone isn’t already at the table, get them there before you add the Parmesan.
Common questions
- Can I use half-and-half instead of heavy cream? Yes, but the sauce will be noticeably thinner and may look slightly curdled if the heat is too high. Keep it on medium-low when you add it.
- My sauce looks too thick after tossing the pasta. Add reserved pasta water two tablespoons at a time and stir. It loosens quickly.
- Can I double the recipe? Yes. Use a large pot and give the tomato sauce a few extra minutes to reduce since there’s more volume.
Substitutions
Penne or ziti works fine if rigatoni isn’t what you have. Canned whole tomatoes crushed by hand can replace the crushed tomatoes, just break them up well before they go in. If you want to add protein, cooked Italian sausage or shredded rotisserie chicken both fold in easily at the end with the pasta.
For picky eaters who don’t do spice, skip the red pepper flakes entirely. The tomato cream sauce is still good without them. A handful of baby spinach stirred in right before serving is an easy way to add something green without changing the flavor much.
Make-ahead and storage
The tomato cream sauce can be made up to three days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the sauce in the pot over medium-low, cook fresh pasta separately, and toss them together. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat leftovers, add a splash of water or broth to the container and warm it in a covered skillet over low heat, stirring a couple of times. The pasta will have absorbed a lot of the sauce overnight, so don’t skip the liquid. This dish doesn’t freeze well. Cream-based sauces tend to separate after thawing and the texture doesn’t come back.
Stovetop Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously, it should taste like mild seawater. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package directions until just barely al dente, which usually means pulling it one minute before the package says. The pasta will keep cooking in the sauce, so you do not want it fully soft yet. Before draining, use a liquid measuring cup to scoop out at least one full cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta in a colander.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and just turning golden. Watch it closely because garlic can go from golden to burnt in about 30 seconds and burnt garlic makes the whole sauce taste bitter.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes carefully since they can splatter. Add the salt, black pepper, and sugar if you are using it. Stir well and bring the sauce to a steady simmer over medium heat. Let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has darkened slightly in color and reduced by about a quarter. You want it to taste like a real cooked tomato sauce, not raw from the can.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the heavy cream. Stir until the cream is fully combined and the sauce turns a warm, rosy orange color. Let it simmer for 2 to 3 more minutes until everything looks smooth and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes to your liking.
- Add the drained rigatoni directly into the pot with the sauce. Toss well to coat every piece. If the sauce looks too thick or the pasta is clumping, stir in reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your preferred consistency. The pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits, so lean toward slightly looser than you think you need.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until it melts into the sauce. Taste one more time and season as needed. Serve immediately in shallow bowls or pasta plates, topped with extra Parmesan and a few torn basil leaves if you have them. This pasta waits for no one, so get everyone to the table first.
Notes
← Back to 22 Quick 30 Minute Dinner Recipes for Busy Nights