[cupcakecook]

Anyone have any tasty recipes for using rigatoni pasta?

[phatch]

Rigatoni is best with a chunky bold sauce. It's shape can hold on to those sauces where other pastas won't.

Nick Stellino did one on his show many years ago I like for this purpose. As that's a copyrighted recipe, the rules prevent me from giving it to your verbatim, but this paraphrase from memory should suffice.

You can make this sauce in the time the pasta is cooking. do the vegie prep while the pasta water is coming to a boil.

Saute a few chopped leeks in lots of olive oil. Then add plenty of sliced garlic and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes. Saute a minute or so. Add some canned chopped tomatoes, rough chopped artichokes (hearts or bottoms, canned, frozen or prepped yourself Avoid marinated, but if you must use marinated, rinse them off well) and about as much rough chopped olives as artichokes. He used an Italian cured olive but it's still pretty good even with the American black olives. Put in some chicken stock and let it reduce. while the pasta finishes cooking.

Cook the pasta short of al dente. You'll finish cooking the pasta with the sauce. Drain the pasta, but save some pasta water. Add the pasta to the sauce. Stir through to mix. Adjust the sauce as needed with the reserved pasta water so that there is enough liquid to finish cooking the pasta. Simmer til the pasta is done.

Add fresh grated parmesan generously, strew with chopped/torn basil, taste for salt and pepper. Serve

EXPLANATIONS

Be generous with the olive oil, it forms part of the sauce.

Slicing the garlic allows you to cook it longer without becoming bitter, but it lessens the garlic impact. So use more garlic than you normally would. These chunks are also very pleasant in the sauce.

[cupcakecook]

thanx! sounds super tasty...this is will definitely make it onto my menu planner for next week!

[phatch]

Excellent. The finished dish shouldn't have loose liquid running out, or just a little.

Phil

[oldschool1982]

Rigatoni tossed with sauteed proscuitto ham or panchetta, Smoked Chicken breast, sliced crimini/portobello mushroom's, sundried tomatoes and swiss chard with Alfredo sauce.

[siduri]

SAUSAGES AND CHEESE
Peel a couple of italian sausages, put the meat in a pan with a little oil and brown, stirring.
Mix ricotta with plenty of parmigiano and an egg.
Cook rigatoni, drain and immediately mix with the cheese mixture then with the sausage meat.

AGLIO, OLIO E TONNO garlic, oil and tuna
Sautee 3 or 4 cloves garlic smashed but not chopped fine, and a couple of pepperoncini (small hot red peppers - about half an inch long - or red pepper flakes) in olive oil for a minute. Add a can of dark meat tuna and some washed anchovies. Let it cook slowly till the anchovies disintegrate. Put directly on freshly drained pasta and mix well.

CAULIFLOWER
Cut up a head of cauliflower into small flowerets. Sautee VERY SLOWLY in a thick film of olive oil and 3 or 4 or 5 sliced garlic cloves and some hot red pepper flakes or small pepperoncini. Cook, covered, without burning (the cauliflower might get slightly nut-brown but don;t let it get dark brown) stirring occasionally until the cauliflower is almost mushy. Cook rigatoni. Immediately add parmigiano and the cauliflower. Mix well.

[cupcakecook]

thanx phatch for the recipe i made it for dinner tonite! my boyfriend and i throughly enjoyed it..i think next time i might add some clams or mussels or both to make it more meaty! but thanx again!

[phatch]

I am sure Nick Stellino is happy for you, and proud of his creation.

Phil