Vodka Sauce Paccheri

From Cookbook "Obsessed with the Best"

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Step 1

Bring a pot of heavily salted water—about 2 heaping teaspoons per quart of water—to a boil on your scariest burner. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes less than the package suggests. Before draining, reserve at least 1½ cups of starchy cooking water. Drain the pasta and set it aside.

Step 2

Meanwhile, place a large, nonreactive pan (i.e. not cast iron—think a Dutch oven or stainless-steel skillet) over medium-low heat. Add the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and garlic and 1½ teaspoons salt. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is melty, fragrant, sweet, and beginning to turn caramel-brown around the edges.

Step 3

Adjust the heat to medium. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 4 minutes, until darkened and sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. Add the chiles and sauté into the paste and onion. Deglaze with the vinegar and vodka and scrape down the sides and bottom of the pan to incorporate the browned bits. Whisk to combine into the tomato paste. Add about ¾ cup of the reserved cooking water and the sugar and whisk again. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until reduced by one-third, about 15 minutes. Add the cream. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes or so, until thick, glossy, and rusty orange.

Step 4

Add the reserved al dente noodles to the sauce over low heat, plus ⅔ cup of the cheese and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, and toss to coat. You may need more pasta water to thin the sauce enough to coat and grip your noodles; the sauce should be thick and shiny but should cling for dear life to the pasta. I typically add about ⅓ cup more reserved cooking water at this point. Taste and add more salt if needed to bring out all the sour, spicy, and savory notes.

Step 5

Top with the rest of the cheese to serve.