I Made Emeril Lagasse’s Spicy Rigatoni and My Mouth Is On Fire (In the Best Way)

If you grew up seeing Emeril Live on Food Network, then you (like us) are likewise mostlikely delighted to see Emeril Lagasse going viral on Instagram and TikTok. Sharing whatever from New Orleans favorites, like Emeril’s jambalaya, to fundamentals like how to make a roux, he’s kicking things up a notch on social media one dish at a time.

The newest production that has our mouths watering? This Emeril Lagasse spicy rigatoni dish.

What’s in Emeril Lagasse’s spicy rigatoni dish?

Emeril’s spicy pasta (similar to this hot Louisiana chicken pasta) is not for the faint of heart. This easy Italian meal begins with 8 to 10 cloves of vibrant garlic (add this to the list of dishes for garlic enthusiasts). Then, BAM, it gets hit with plenty of heat thanks to spicy Italian sausage and a spoonful (or 2) of sliced Calabrian chiles. Next, aromatics from the onion and celery get folded in. Once the sauce has simmered and the noodles are al dente, the meal is then endedup with a shower of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

How to Make Emeril’s Spicy Rigatoni

Ingredients

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• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8-10 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage links, housings gottenridof and damaged into little pieces
• 1 big onion, diced (about 2 cups)
• 3 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 cups homemade marinara sauce, or store-bought
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 4-6 tablespoons crushed Calabrian chiles, more or less to taste
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions

Step 1: Saute some “gaahlic”

In a big fryingpan over medium-low heat, include the olive oil and minced garlic. Cook upuntil aromatic, about one to 2 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

Editor’s Note: Start with a cold fryingpan when sauteing garlic. Adding garlic and oil to a hot, preheated fryingpan frequently results in charred garlic. Start cold, and work low to gradually draw out the scent and taste of the garlic into the oil.

Step 2: Add the sausage, onions and celery

Lauren Habermehl For Taste of Home

Increase the heat to medium-high, include the sausage (here are our preferred Italian sausage brandnames) and cook till nearly completely browned. Add the onions and celery and continue to cook upuntil the sausage is totally prepared and the celery and onions have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 3: Make it saucy

Lauren Habermehl For Taste of Home

Pour in the marinara sauce and bring the mix to a low boil, then lower to low heat to simmer carefully while you cook the pasta.

Step 4: Cook the pasta

While the homemade pasta sauce simmers, cook your rigatoni in a big pot of salted water till al dente. Remove about 1 cup of the pasta water (here’s why you needto conserve pasta water), then drain the pasta and transfer to a tidy big fryingpan over medium heat.

Step 5: Combine and include the spice

Lauren Habermehl For Taste of Home

To the fryingpan with the pasta, include about 1/2 cup of the booked pasta water along with adequate sauce to coat the pasta kindly, and toss to integrate. Finish the pasta by stirring in 2 to 4 tablespoons of the sliced Calabrian chiles (adjust the quantity to fit your household’s tastes).

Editor’s Tip: In Emeril’s TikTok, he discusses that you might have more sauce than you require. Save any remaining sauce for a lateron meal. Keep it cooled in an airtight container, and the sauce will just get muchbetter over time as the tastes wed.

Step 6: Serve

Lauren Habermehl For Taste of Home

To serve, divide the pasta inbetween plates and surface with a generous quantity of newly grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Enjoy!