Vodka gochujang rigatoni

Serves: 4

 

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 red onion, peeled and very finely sliced

1 tsp fine sea salt

2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated

1 x 400g passata, or finely chopped tinned tomatoes

1 tbsp gochujang

1 tbsp tomato puree

100ml vodka

175ml oat-based single cream

400g rigatoni

 

METHOD

Put the oil in a large frying pan on a medium-to-high heat, add the onion and salt, and cook, stirring, for eight minutes, until the onion is soft enough to cut easily with a wooden spoon.

Add the garlic, fry for two minutes, then add the passata, gochujang, tomato puree and half the vodka, and leave it all to bubble away for 10 minutes, until the mix is quite paste-like. Stir in the cream and the rest of the vodka, simmer for a couple of minutes, then take off the heat.

Cook the rigatoni for a minute less than the packet instructions. Carefully scoop a mug (around 250ml) of the cooking water out of the pasta pan, put this to one side, then drain the pasta.

Pop the sauce back on the heat, stir in the pasta and all of the reserved pasta cooking water, then let it bubble away for a couple of minutes, until the sauce is nice and thick and clinging to the pasta. Taste for seasoning, add a little salt, if need be, and serve hot.

 

Recipe credit: Meera Sodha via The Guardian