This creamy sauce comes together quickly, with no need for pre-cooking or special prep. Calabrian chili paste adds a mild heat—if you can’t find it, sambal oelek, sriracha, or harissa are good alternatives. The fried breadcrumbs cook quickly and make for a perfect crunchy topping.
Rigatoni with Creamy Calabrian Chili Tomato Sauce and Fried Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
FRIED BREADCRUMBS
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
CALABRIAN CHILI TOMATO SAUCE
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste or hot pepper paste alternative
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounces San Marzano tomatoes hand crushed
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped Kosher salt, to taste
RIGATONI
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- Kosher salt for pasta water
Instructions
FRIED BREADCRUMBS
- Warm olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and toast until golden and crispy, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
CALABRIAN CHILI TOMATO SAUCE
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and Calabrian chili paste and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Lower heat and add cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
RIGATONI
- Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add rigatoni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve one cup of pasta water and drain.
- Add cooked rigatoni to the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Spoon pasta into four bowls and sprinkle with a generous handful of fried breadcrumbs before serving.
Brandon Blumenfeld
Brandon Blumenfeld has over 18 years of experience working across the country in the hospitality industry, and has worked for stand-out restaurant groups such as Momofuku, Hu Kitchen, Buckhead Life Restaurant Group, and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. He specializes in recipe development, menu design, cost analysis, ordering processes, and kitchen functionality.
