This is a fast take on a classic vodka pasta, swapping pork or pancetta for lamb mince to give it more depth. A good tomato sugo, a splash of vodka and a little cream come together quickly, with rigatoni catching all the sauce. It’s designed to be cooked start to finish in the time it takes to boil pasta.
Category
Dinner
Servings
4
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook time
12 minutes
This is a fast take on a classic vodka pasta, swapping pork or pancetta for lamb mince to give it more depth. A good tomato sugo, a splash of vodka and a little cream come together quickly, with rigatoni catching all the sauce. It’s designed to be cooked start to finish in the time it takes to boil pasta.
Ingredients
- 500g rigatoni
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 500g lamb mince
- sea salt, to season
- pinch chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp Vodka
- 750ml (3 cups) Sugo
- 100ml cream
- 40g (½ cup) grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
- handful of basil leaves, torn
Directions
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil over high heat. Cook the pasta for 10 minutes, or until al dente.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucier or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mince, season with some salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring to break it up.
- Add the chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute, stirring, then pour in the vodka and cook for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
- Pour in the sugo and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir through the cream and cook for a few minutes to thicken slightly.
- Drain the pasta then add to the sauce along with the parmesan and basil. Stir until just combined then remove from the heat.
- Serve pasta garnished with some extra parmesan and basil leaves.
Recipe notes
Cook support
When adding the vodka take care as it can flambe when cooking on gas. If you don’t want to include the vodka, then you can use water and add it to help mix in the frond from the base of the pan.
Substitutions
You can use beef or pork mince in this dish or keep it vegetarian and just add the vodka to the sugo sauce.
Storage
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for several days.
