How To Cook Rigatoni Pasta

Rigatoni pasta comes in the form of tube-shaped structure that can vary in diameters and lengths. It is bigger than penne or ziti and sometimes can be slightly curved. Like many other kinds of pasta, Rigatoni too has an Italian origin. It is quite easy to cook and yummy to taste. This pasta has an ability to turn your otherwise bland or boring meals into tasty and interesting ones. Here are a few recipes that you can try by yourself.

Rigatoni With Sausage And Fennel

Prep Time: 20mins

Cooking Time: 40mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 3 cups chopped fennel
• 3 tbs olive oil
• 1 ¼ sweet Italian sausages (without casing)
• 1 ½ chopped yellow onion
• ½ tbs red pepper flakes
• 2 tbs minced garlic
• ½ tsp fennel seeds (crushed with pestle and mortar)
• 1 pound Rigatoni
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2/3 cup half-and-half
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 cup grated parmesan, divided
• ½ cup chopped parsley leaves

Method Of Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium flame. Add onion and fennel and sauté until tender for 6-7 mins. Next, Add sausage and crumble it with a fork. Cook for 7 mins or until brown.
2. Add salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, black pepper and cook for a minute. Pour white wine and boil for a minute. Add half-and-half, tomato paste, and heavy cream and bring to boil on low heat. Simmer for 20 minutes to achieve a thick sauce.
3. Boil water in a large pan and add Rigatoni pasta to it along with 2 tbs of salt. Cook until Al Dante and drain. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir thoroughly so as to coat the pasta properly in the sauce. Cook for 5 mins more and then turn off the heat. Stir in parsley along with a ½ cup of parmesan. Serve hot and garnish with remaining parmesan cheese.

Rigatoni With Grilled Pepper And Onions

Prep Time: 25mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 big onions sliced in ½ inch thick rings
• 2 big red bell peppers cut into quarters
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 1 bunch of spinach (trimmed stems)
• 4-5 cups (12 ounces) Rigatoni
• ¾ cup finely sliced basil leaves
• 1 cup (3 ½ ounces) grated parmesan

Method Of Preparation

1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. Heat grill pan to medium.
3. Mix oil, bell pepper, onion, ½ tsp pepper and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Grill the mixture for 8-10 mins while stirring occasionally until tender. Transfer the mixture to a chopping board. Cut into small bite-size pieces.
4. Cook pasta by boiling it into the water until al Dante. You can refer to the directions mentioned on the package of pasta. Reserve around 1 cup of water used in cooking pasta. Drain pasta and shift it to the pot. Add spinach, grilled vegetables, reserved water, a ¾ cup of parmesan and toss to mix thoroughly. Garnish with basil leaves and remaining parmesan cheese and serve hot.