Italian-American · main

Rigatoni alla Vodka with Italian Sausage

Rigatoni alla Vodka with Italian Sausage reads umami 7.0, richness 6.4 and salinity 5.0 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.7 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 3.2 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.3 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.6 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 7.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 7.0 · Richness 6.4 · Salinity 5.0 · Allium 4.4 · Herbaceous 3.6 · Sweetness 2.6 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Heat 2.1 · Sourness 1.9 · Fruity 1.9 · Nutty 1.8 · Floral 1.7 · Warm Spice 1.6 · Earthy 1.4 · Citrus 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1

What's in it (14)

• olive oil — 27 g
• italian sausage — 454 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• vodka — 59 g
• tomatoes — 794 g
• salt — 5 g
• black pepper — 3 g
• rigatoni pasta — 454 g
• heavy cream — 177 g
• unsalted butter — 27 g
• parmesan cheese — 114 g
• basil — 15 g

Time & effort: about 45 min (44 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 170.3 kcal, 7.9 g protein, 7.4 g fat, 18.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (11 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the sausage and its rendered fat; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the vodka, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; simmer until reduced by half and the raw alcohol smell is gone, 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, and black pepper; bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and deepened in color, 15 minutes.
7. While the sauce simmers in step 6, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 11 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
8. Stir the cream and butter into the sauce; simmer until glossy and fully combined, 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the drained rigatoni to the sauce and toss to coat, splashing in reserved pasta water as needed to loosen, 1-2 minutes.
10. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan until melted and glossy.
11. Fold in most of the basil, reserving a few leaves, and plate, topping with the remaining Parmesan and reserved basil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Baked Tortellini in Creamy Tomato Sauce — Italian-American
• Baked Ziti with Sausage and Ricotta — Italian-American
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs over Zucchini Noodles — Italian-American
• Chicken Parmesan Meatball and Ricotta Bake — Italian-American
• Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Rigatoni — Italian-American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.