Sweat the onion, garlic and chili

• Finely dice the onion and thinly slice the garlic.
• Add them to a pan with the Calabrian chili, a good hit of olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Cook over medium heat until soft and sweet.

Fry the tomato paste

• Add the tomato paste for extra depth.
• Fry it down until it begins to stiffen.

Add the vodka

• Pour in the vodka.
• Let the alcohol burn off for a bit before adding the tomatoes.

Cook the cherry tomatoes

• Add the cherry tomatoes and let everybody get to know each other.
• Cover with the lid and cook until they are jamming and broken down.

Boil the pasta

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it so it tastes like a well seasoned soup.
• Cook the rigatoni until two minutes before al dente.
• Save some of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Blend and strain the sauce

• Blend the sauce for a smoother texture.
• Pass it through a strainer back into the pan.

Finish the sauce

• Add as much heavy cream as your heart desires.
• Warm the sauce back up.

Combine pasta and sauce

• Add the pasta to the sauce with a little bit of the reserved pasta water.
• Combine with butter and a mountain of good Parmesan.
• Toss until creamy and serve.