Spicy Rigatoni Vodka (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

5 from 1 vote

Spicy Rigatoni Vodka (Cheesecake Factory Copycat)

This homemade copycat version of the Cheesecake Factory's Spicy Rigatoni Vodka is creamy and spicy, with pops of salty pancetta and juicy tomatoes - ready in under 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: cheesecake factory copycat, cheesecake factory recipe, cheesecake factory spicy rigatoni, cheesecake factory spicy rigatoni vodka, spicy rigatoni vodka, spicy vodka pasta

Servings: Servings

Calories: 757kcal

Author: Sunena

Equipment

Ingredients

1 lb Rigatoni pasta
4 oz Pancetta diced
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 pint Grape tomatoes whole
¼ cup Tomato paste
⅓ cup Vodka
1 ½ tablespoon Calabrian chilies chopped or paste
½ cup Heavy cream
¼ cup Pasta water use as needed
1 tablespoon Salted butter

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, salt it liberally and boil pasta until al dente.
1 lb Rigatoni pasta
Add the diced pancetta to a large, cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium, and let the pancetta fat render while the meat crisps.
4 oz Pancetta
Remove the crisp pancetta and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
Add the whole grape tomatoes to the same skillet with the remaining pancetta fat. Once the tomatoes have started to burst, add the minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
1 pint Grape tomatoes, 2 cloves Garlic
Add the tomato paste and chilies to the skillet, and let them cook through for 1-3 minutes until you start to see the oils come out.
¼ cup Tomato paste, 1 ½ tablespoon Calabrian chilies
Turn the heat to medium-low, and carefully pour the vodka into the tomato paste mixture, and mix to combine.
⅓ cup Vodka
Finish the sauce with heavy cream, and salted butter. Mix until the butter is melted and the sauce is silky.
½ cup Heavy cream, 1 tablespoon Salted butter
Transfer the boiled pasta to the skillet with the sauce. Toss well until the pasta is fully covered in the sauce.
Top the pasta with the crisp pancetta before serving.

Video

Notes

Tossing the pasta: I recommend transferring the pasta directly from the pasta water using a spider strainer so that a good amount of pasta water transfers into the sauce with the pasta. If you are not using a spider strainer, you will want to add small amounts of pasta water to the pasta while tossing it with the sauce.

Salt at the end: You will likely not need to add extra salt to the sauce and final pasta dish. The pasta water, pancetta, and butter have more than enough salt to season the sauce. If you find it lacking, season with salt at the end.

Use extra care: Be extra careful when adding the vodka to the sauce, especially if you are using a gas stove. You do not want any accidental flames in the kitchen.

Nutrition