1cupParmesan, freshly gratedomit if you're dairy-free
2tbspextra virgin olive oil
1/2tspcrushed red pepper flakes
2/3cupfull fat coconut milk or heavy cream
6ouncestomato paste
1lbfusilli pasta I use brown rice pasta
1cupreserved pasta waterfrom cooked pasta pot
Fresh basil, for servingoptional
Instructions
Bring a large lidded stockpot of salted water to a boil.
Adjacent to your stockpot, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about five minutes.
Add the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the tomato paste starts to brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan and scrape up the browned bits.
Add in the coconut milk or heavy cream, stirring constantly, until a smooth sauce forms.
Turn off the heat, remove with from heat, and cover with a lid.
Add fusilli to pot of boiling salted water and cook two minutes less than packaged directions require. You want the pasta to be a bit less than al dente.
Scoop out one cup of the pasta water and reserve.
Uncover your pan of sauce and put back on low heat.
Using a slotted spoon, add fusilli to the pan of sauce.
Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce and half of the Parmesan, stirring to combine and melt the cheese.
When the water is absorbed, stream in the remaining 1/2 of the pasta water as needed.
Stir to incorporate into the creamy sauce.
Serve pasta in shallow bowls with fresh basil, if desired.