Spicy Vodka Pasta

Ingredients

¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 oz Guanciale, cut into 1/8” Cubes

3 Red Fresno Chilies, finely chopped

5 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

2 ½ tsp Granulated Sugar

3 Tbs Gochujang

1 Cup Tomato Paste

1 Tbs Vodka

¼ Cup Filtered Water

1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream

16 oz Rigatoni

¾ Cup Pecorino, grated

2 Tbs unsalted butter, cubed and cold

Salt, to taste

Pepper and Parmesan to garnish

Directions

Make sure to gather all ingredients before you start cooking

Boil water in a large pot for rigatoni before starting with the sauce. Cook rigatoni to al-dente according to package instructions while making the sauce, reserving the pasta water

Add olive oil and guanciale to a cold pan and set heat to medium-low. Stir often until guanciale is crispy and browned, about 4-5 minutes

Increase the heat to medium then add the Fresno chilies and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt, sauté until fragrant and softened, about one minute

Stir in the sugar then add the gochujang and tomato paste

Cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and caramelize

Deglaze the sauce with vodka and water, stirring with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pan

Add heavy cream, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer 1-2 minutes. Taste and add salt as necessary

Add cooked pasta to the sauce pot and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and vigorously stir in grated pecorino and butter. Add additional pasta water 1 Tbs at a time to aid in the emulsification until you reach the desired consistency Garnish with parmesan and fresh-cracked pepper as desired then serve