carbone at home: how to make the famous spicy vodka pasta at home
A few weeks ago, Tony and I were talking about how much we miss New York. I started talking about our favorite restaurants in New York, which got me going down the rabbit hole of delish foods. Finally ending up dreaming of Carbone’s famous spicy rigatoni. Since we won’t be traveling to NYC any time soon, I decided to learn how to whip up a batch of Carbone’s Famous Spicy Vodka Pasta at home!
CARBONE AT HOME
There’s something about pasta that instantly makes me hungry. I could have just eaten dinner, but if you show me a picture of pasta… I’m ready for round 2. Vodka sauce has to be one of my all time favorites.
And when it comes to vodka sauce, Carbone’s spicy rigatoni vodka reigns supreme. After all, people (myself included) are willing to shell out upwards of $30 for a small portion of their famous pasta (though that price does bake in the unmatchable experience of actually dining at the excellent restaurant).
I remember seeing an article pop up on my Reddit feed saying that the line at Carbone got so insane during quarantine that the cops were called. THAT’S HOW GOOD IT IS. So many New Yorkers were ordering to go pasta, the cops had to break up the crowd.
So what’s the deal? Why are people so obsessed with Carbone?
Well, to start, Carbone is an Italian Restaurant in greenwich village
You know those dishes that constantly pop up on Instagram and are so mouth-watering you immediately add them to your “I have to eat this someday” list? Mine is one of those giant melting raclette cheese contraptions. But the spicy rigatoni vodka pasta from Carbone was a close second before I tried it.
Carbone has been a “hot spot” in New York since it opened in 2013, attracting locals, tourists and you guessed it.. CELEBRITIES. Everyone from Kim K to J.Lo eats at Carbone.
Since we can’t all visit Carbone (definitely not right now), why not try a little Carbone at home?
HOW TO MAKE THE FAMOUS SPICY VODKA PASTA AT HOME
Ok, so no home recipe is EXACTLY the same as a restaurant recipe. Because we don’t have all of the same fancy tools and ingredients. But this recipe hack is pretty damn close. Like, I’m PRETTY F’ING proud of it.
Tip #1: the secret to a silky smooth sauce is to save a little pasta water from the cooking process.
Tip #2: always salt your water when boiling pasta. Not only does it enhance the flavor, but it makes the sauce creamier.
Carbone’s famous pasta dish is basically a Rigatoni with Vodka sauce. I didn’t have Rigatoni & my shipt shopper couldn’t find it either. So, I opted to use a pappardelle noodle. Honestly, use whatever you have. Keep it easy & don’t stress on the pasta shape. It’s all in the sauce.
CARBONE AT HOME: HOW TO MAKE THE FAMOUS SPICY VODKA PASTA AT HOME
Ingredients
- 12 oz Pappardelle Pasta cook according to the package directions
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp oregano
- 1 tbsp pepper
- 1/3 cup vodka
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Boil a medium pot of water with a large dash of salt.
- Turn your stove on medium-low and add your olive oil to a saucepan.
- Throw in your spices when the oil is hot.
- Once your water starts boiling, add the pasta and cook until tender. Don't forget to save at least a cup of the water. Then drain.
- Add the garlic & tomato paste to your saucepan.
- Stir for a minute or two before adding in the vodka & heavy cream.
- Keep stirring. Once the sauce has mixed well (the color should be soft pink/orange depending on how much cream you added), lower the heat to low.
- Combine your drained pasta & pasta sauce.
- Stir in half of the cheese (save the rest for garnishing). Once the cheese melts, add a 1/2 cup of pasta water to take your pasta to the next level.