This recipe for easy vegan Spicy Rigatoni is creamy, dreamy, and so simple with just 6 main ingredients, and it happens to be dairy-free / vegan! You’ll feel like you just grabbed that exclusive reservation at Carbone ā all in your own kitchen.
If you’ve ever lived in New York City, you know that Carbone is a restaurant in a league of its own. It’s on just about every top restaurants list, and simply being able to get a reservation there is like winning the lottery. Heck, dining there more than once is worthy of putting on your resume.
Of course, there is the famous Carbone Spicy Rigatoni Vodka. Now, let’s get one thing straight: Nothing will ever compare to the real deal. And don’t even get me started on the cozy, authentic Italian environment with some of the best service in the city. However, as far as a healthier version goes, this dairy-free (vegan!) Copycat Carbone Spicy Rigatoni is rather impressive, if I do say so myself.
Easy Vegan Spicy Rigatoni
An easy and dairy-free version of the famous Carbone Spicy Rigatoni. Healthy pasta recipe with just 6 ingredients needed!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner, Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup marinara sauce *
- 1/2 cup unflavored dairy-free cream cheese **
- salt & pepper to taste
- optional for garnish: fresh basil, more red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente
- Place olive oil in pan on medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and let cook for 1-2 minutes
- Add marinara sauce and dairy-free cream cheese to pan, and whisk everything together until smooth. Season with salt & pepper
- Turn heat to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes
- Drain pasta, but reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and whisk into sauce
- Add drained pasta to pan and coat it with the sauce
- Top with fresh basil and another sprinkle of red pepper flakes
Notes
* You can use homemade marinara sauce, but for an easy store bought hack my favorite sauce is Rao’s Homemade
** My favorite brand of dairy-free cream cheese for this recipe is Miyoko’s
Keywords: carbone, carbone spicy rigatoni, spicy rigatoni vodka, vodka pasta, vegan spicy rigatoni, vegan vodka pasta, easy healthy pasta, easy vegan pasta recipe, easy dairy-free pasta recipe
Some notes on this recipe:
- You can easily make this gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta
- To make it extra delicious use homemade tomato sauce, but I kept things simple and used Rao’s, which is my favorite jarred sauce
- I have made this recipe using Miyoko’s plain dairy-free cream cheese and also Kite Hill plain dairy-free cream cheese. I prefer Miyoko’s, but they both work. I can’t speak for other dairy-free cream cheese alternatives, as they may react differently to heat depending on their ingredients
- This would be delicious to add in some grilled chicken or shrimp for protein
As always, if you make this Easy Vegan Spicy Rigatoni or any of my other recipes Iād love to see how they turned out. Be sure to tag me on Instagram @Hungry.Blonde! xoxo GG
You might also like:
Mini Eggplant Pizzas
Everything Bagel Macaroni & Cheese
Keto Lasagna
Copycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch
Such an easy weeknight vegan meal that seems fancy. Love Carbonne but would rather eat a healthier version at home. Can’t wait to make it for all of my friends for my birthday!