Vegan Vodka Sauce with Rigatoni

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, generously salt it. Add the rigatoni to the boiling, salted water and cook it for 1 minute less than the time specified on the package. As the pasta nears the end of its cooking time, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Then, drain the pasta in a colander.

While the pasta is cooking, pour the olive oil into a large, deep skillet or another pot. Heat the oil over medium - low heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt to the oil. Cook the shallot until it becomes softened and translucent, which should take about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes to the skillet, followed by the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it loosens, turns a bright orange - red color, and starts to caramelize, which will take 3 - 5 minutes. If the tomato paste starts to burn, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. Pour in the vodka and let it simmer until almost completely evaporated, which also takes 3 - 5 minutes. Slowly pour in the coconut milk while constantly stirring until a smooth sauce forms. Once the sauce is smooth, turn off the heat. Add the red wine vinegar, a big pinch of salt, and several cranks of black pepper to the sauce. Taste the sauce and add more salt, pepper, or vinegar according to your preference.

Add the drained pasta to the pan with the sauce. Turn the heat back on to medium - high. Simmer the pasta with the sauce, stirring constantly, until the sauce evenly coats the pasta and the pasta is cooked through, which should take about 2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. If you're using regular coconut milk, you'll probably need about ¼ cup of water, while lite coconut milk usually doesn't need any added water. Taste the pasta and sauce again and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

Serve the vegan vodka sauce with rigatoni on plates and sprinkle extra black pepper and dairy - free Parmesan cheese on top.