Spicy Fusilli
I’ve eaten a quite a lot of spicy fusilLi in my life.
In fact, it’s probably one of my favorite comfort foods, if not favorite foods. And Jon & Vinny’s is probably one of the best I’ve ever eaten at a restaurant. So much so that I decided I needed to recreate it at home. Their recipe is pretty easy to find online, and it really is as delicious as it is in their restaurant. But me being me, and me being Italian, naturally, I thought I could make it even better (lol). So with some (ok, maybe quite a few) tweaks here and there, the recipe below is what I arrived upon a few years ago, and is now the only one I make when a spicy fusilli craving hits. In fact, it’s so good, we’ve basically stopped ordering it out (sorry J&V’s). Dave says it just doesn’t compare, and, I mean, like I know he’s biased and all, but also I kind of have to say he’s not wrong on this one.
There are two secrets to what makes this so decadently delicious. First, you can thank the copious amounts of dairy products. The more butter the better, right?! Secondly, the pasta water comes through as a strong contender for MVP of the spicy fusilli recipe. The starch from the pasta that is left behind in the water assists the sauce in becoming its thickest and creamiest self. And while some insist that this only works if you’re using full gluten pasta (which, of course, you absolutely can do), I swear there is no difference and it’s just as delicious when I make this with GF rice pasta (which is what I tend to use most). I mean, were talking about a sauce loaded with cream and cheese. Like, I’m pretty sure you can’t go wrong here.
Bonus secret to what makes this sauce so good- the red pepper. Now I know you’re probably thinking “Well duh! It’s not called “spicy” for no reason!”. But here’s where the secret part comes in. Adding it in at the same time as the garlic allows it to become slightly toasted which in turn releases even more of its’ warm, fragrant flavors than if you just tossed it into the sauce later, resulting in a more enriched overall sauce. Also, while red pepper flakes work wonderfully (and are what I use most of the time), you can also switch up the peppers, my favorite swap (which will be shocking to no one that knows me) being to use Calabrian chilis, either the chopped ones marinated in olive oil, or dried.
Secrets aside, this truly is a recipe that is hard to screw up (see “copious amounts of dairy” point above). It’s simple, easy, ready in no time, delicious and always makes a memorable impression, whether you’re serving it for a date night at home, or for a dinner party gathering.
SPICY FUSILLI
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
1 pound fusilli (GF or regular)
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes or diced Calabrian chilis (amount depends on how mild or spicy you prefer your food)
2 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 cup (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 tablespoons vodka
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (regular or vegan)
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Fresh basil, for garnish
Fresh black pepper, sea salt and red pepper flakes, to garnish
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add in pasta and cook just until al dente (every brand and type of pasta varies so this could be anywhere from 5-9 minutes; just be sure to check the package directions). Whatever you do, do not overcook it, as it will be getting additional cook time in the sauce, which will soften the pasta even more.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring continuously, just until the garlic starts to turn golden brown, but before the red pepper flakes burn, about 60-90 seconds. Add in the salt and tomato paste and cook, continuing to stir, until the paste and oil mixture have mostly combined and the paste has started to darken in color and become a bit caramelized, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the vodka until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 60 seconds. Lastly, pour in the cream and mix until everything is well combined. If you find that the sauce is bubbling too much and/or begin to stick to the bottom of the pan, just turn the heat down to medium-low while you finish mixing in the cream.
Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta cooking liquid. Toss the pasta into the skillet with the sauce along with butter, parmesan cheese and about ½ cup of the pasta water (I use a soup ladle to add in my pasta water). Keeping the skillet over medium-low heat, continue stirring gently until the butter and cheese has melted and a thick, glossy sauce has formed. Continue adding additional pasta water as needed to reach the desired thickness/amount of sauce. I like a lot of sauce, so I usually end up adding about 1 1/2-2 cups, total, of pasta water, letting it cook down a bit in between each addition. If you make the sauce too thin, you can always add a little more butter or cream and cook it for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens back up.
Season with fresh ground pepper and additional salt, as needed. Served topped topped with fresh basil, more fresh grated Parmesan cheese and additional red pepper flakes or chopped Calabrain chilis.
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