Ingredients
- 1 box Flour + Water Foods Penne Rigate
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup Red Onion, small dice
- 5 large cloves of Garlic
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme, picked
- 2 tsp Fresh Marjoram, picked
- 1 tsp Chile Flakes
- 8oz ‘Nduja
- ½ cup Tomato Paste
- 1 28oz can Canned Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 6 fl oz Vodka (split into 4 oz + 2 oz)
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Mascarpone
- 1 lb Squid, body cut into rings + tentacles split in half
- TT Kosher Salt
- TT Thai Basil
- TT Parmigiano Reggiano
Method
Heat a heavy bottomed pot on medium heat. Add a thin layer of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot and add the onion + garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and sweat (cook slowly without getting any color), until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the herbs + chile flakes and cook for another 1 minute, or until the herbs are fragrant.
Add the ‘nduja + tomato paste and, with a wooden spoon, stir and break up the ’nduja until it has “melted” into the aromatics. Cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot as needed, until the color of the tomato paste has deepened + the oil has been stained dark red.
Add the canned tomatoes + vodka, season with a big punch of salt, and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the sauce from the heat and, working in batches, blend until smooth (I use a personal blender, but any blender should work!). Return the sauce back to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream + mascarpone, season to taste, and reserve half of the sauce for a later date.
Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente (this pasta doesn’t cook much in the sauce, so cook it to just under your desired doneness).
Two minutes before your pasta is done, with the finished sauce on a very low simmer, stir in the squid (½ pound for this half batch of sauce). When the pasta is done, strain it, reserving a little pasta water just in case, and add it directly into the sauce. Give it a good mix to coat all the pasta.
Plate it in your bowl of choice, and garnish with a good grating of parmigiano reggiano and tons of torn thai basil. Enjoy!
