RECIPE 01 · PASTA & RICE
Creamy tomato rigatoni
A glossy tomato sauce, ridged pasta and a little cream: this is dinner for the nights when you want something generous without a long list of ingredients. Save some pasta water before draining; it brings the sauce and pasta together.
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A richer beginning.
Cooking Ace Sabbah in the olive oil first gives this short sauce its depth. The cream softens the tomato flavour, while a little starchy water keeps it silky instead of heavy.
Let’s cook.
Made with Ace Sabbah double-concentrated tomato paste.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves / makes
- 4
Times are approximate. 1 tbsp = 15 ml; 1 tsp = 5 ml. Oven temperatures are for a conventional oven.
Ingredients
400 g rigatoni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp Ace Sabbah double-concentrated tomato paste
½ tsp chilli flakes, optional
200 ml whipping cream
250 ml reserved pasta cooking water, as needed
40 g finely grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve- ½ tsp fine salt, plus salt for the pasta water
¼ tsp black pepper
10 basil leaves, torn
Method
Put the pasta on
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until just shy of the packet’s recommended time. Reserve 250 ml cooking water, then drain.
Build the base
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–8 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and optional chilli and stir for 30 seconds.
Cook the paste
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly. Reduce the heat and stir in the cream and 100 ml pasta water. Simmer gently for 3 minutes.
Bring it together
Add the pasta and toss over low heat for 1–2 minutes. Add more pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the ridges. Take off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, salt and pepper, and finish with basil.
At the stove
Add the Parmesan off the heat so it melts smoothly. If the sauce tightens while serving, loosen it with another splash of pasta water.
At the table
Serve in warm bowls with a crisp green salad and extra Parmesan.