
Need more inspo? Check out our 15+ Homemade Pasta Sauces. Toss 1 cup of sauteed, seasoned vegetables into the finished pasta and season to taste with salt. Toss into the pasta and sauce, just before topping with Parmesan and basil.īroccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini are all great options for adding an extra serving of veggies to this dish. Separate the breast meat from the chicken, remove the skin, and use your hands or a fork to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Toss the crumbled sausage into the finished pasta, just before adding the final addition of Parmesan and basil. Wipe the pan clean and start the recipe from the top. Once the sausage is cooked through and beginning to brown, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel-lined plate.


In 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat, cook 6-8 ounces of hot or sweet Italian sausage, casing removed, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. With the addition of salty pork, you may not need as much salt, so be sure to wait until after adding the pork to do your final seasoning. Toss the pancetta, bacon, or prosciutto into the finished pasta just before the final addition of Parmesan and basil. Wipe the skillet clean and start the recipe from the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Starting with a cold skillet, cook 6 ounces of diced pancetta, bacon, or prosciutto over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the pork is crisp. While this pasta is certainly delicious on its own, it also lends itself to add-ins to make it extra hearty and boost flavor. In fact, we prefer the fatter rigatoni tubes because the middles catch more sauce. Rigatoni alla vodka just doesn't have the same ring to it, ya know? To make sure that each piece of pasta is coated, we like to stir the pasta directly into the sauce while it's still in the skillet before adding the last bit of Parmesan.Ī note about pasta: As you can see from the picture, you don't need to use penne.

Tomato paste has a more concentrated flavor, and texture-wise, it makes for a smoother, almost velvety sauce. Yep, the lack of canned (crushed, pureed, or whole) tomatoes is no mistake. True story: This is the best vodka sauce any of us in the test kitchen have ever had.
