Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 7 oz rigatoni
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 10 oz cremini or button mushrooms sliced thick
- 1 small red chili thinly sliced (or ½ tsp chili flakes)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornstarch optional, for thickening
- 2 scallions finely chopped (for garnish)
For the garlic-chili oil:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced or minced
- ½ tsp red chili flakes
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain.
- While pasta cooks, make garlic-chili oil: heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chili flakes. Cook 1–2 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from heat.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms until golden and tender (8–10 minutes). Add minced garlic and sliced chili and cook 1 minute more.
- In a small bowl, mix tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, water, and cornstarch. Add to mushrooms and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add rigatoni and toss to coat. Use pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Drizzle garlic-chili oil over the top, toss, and garnish with scallions. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use tamari for gluten-free.
- Maple syrup keeps it vegan.
- Don’t burn the garlic, watch the heat on your chili oil.
- Broil mushrooms for a few minutes at the end for extra browning (optional).
- Any short pasta with ridges works great.