Gather Your Ingredients
1 pound mezze rigatoni or rigatoni
Table salt for cooking pasta plus ½ teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced, divided
3 tablespoons gochujang
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup passatta
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Parmesan cheese
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in half of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in gochujang and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in passata, heavy cream, and salt. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add panko and cook, stirring frequently, until evenly browned and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer panko to small bowl, stir in remaining garlic, and set aside until ready to serve.
Add sauce and ½ cup reserved cooking water to pasta in pot and toss to combine. Before serving, adjust consistency with additional reserved cooking water as needed. Sprinkle with toasted panko, chives, and Parmesan. Serve.