**Marcella's Stuffed Rigatoni: A Journey Through Italian Culinary History**
In the realm of Italian cooking, few dishes evoke a sense of comfort, nostalgia, and sheer gustatory delight quite like stuffed rigatoni. Originating from the sun-kissed hills of Campania, this culinary masterpiece has captured the hearts and taste buds of food enthusiasts worldwide. Join us on a culinary adventure as we delve into Marcella's stuffed rigatoni, a recipe that embodies the essence of Italian tradition while offering a modern twist. With its delectable filling, rich sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta, this dish promises an unforgettable dining experience. Discover the secrets behind this beloved dish and embark on a journey through Italian culinary history with every bite.
**The Recipe Delights:**
1. **Marcella's Stuffed Rigatoni:** The star of the show, this recipe showcases rigatoni pasta generously filled with a savory mixture of ricotta, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. Bathed in a luscious tomato sauce and sprinkled with more Parmesan, this dish epitomizes comfort food at its finest.
2. **Easy Stuffed Rigatoni:** A simplified version of the classic, this recipe streamlines the process without compromising on flavor. Using pre-cooked sausage and a store-bought tomato sauce, you can whip up a batch of stuffed rigatoni that's perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.
3. **Stuffed Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce:** For those who crave a touch of spice, this recipe adds a kick of vodka to the traditional tomato sauce. The result is a tantalizing fusion of flavors that will leave you craving more.
4. **Stuffed Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce:** A departure from the classic tomato-based sauce, this recipe introduces a creamy béchamel sauce. With its rich, velvety texture, the béchamel sauce elevates the stuffed rigatoni to a new level of sophistication.
5. **Baked Stuffed Rigatoni:** This oven-baked version of stuffed rigatoni is perfect for special occasions or when you want a dish that's both visually appealing and incredibly delicious. The rigatoni are neatly arranged in a baking dish and topped with a combination of tomato sauce and béchamel sauce, creating a symphony of flavors that will impress your guests.
Each recipe offers a unique take on the beloved stuffed rigatoni, ensuring that there's something for every palate. Whether you prefer classic comfort food, a spicy twist, a creamy indulgence, or an elegant baked masterpiece, these recipes will guide you towards culinary bliss. So, gather your ingredients, prepare your taste buds, and let's embark on this delectable journey together.
EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND MOZZARELLA PASTA BAKE
Provided by Katie Lee Biegel
Categories main-dish
Time 1h25m
Yield to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season aggressively with salt. Add the rigatoni and cook 3 minutes less than the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the eggplant and tomatoes with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread on the baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and tomatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)
- Toss the rigatoni with the eggplant, tomatoes, about 1/4 cup pasta water and the marinara sauce in a large bowl. If it looks dry, add the remaining pasta water. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella.
- Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Transfer the pasta to the baking dish and top with the remaining cup mozzarella and the Parmesan and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. (Turn the broiler on at the end if you want the cheese to brown more.) Garnish with additional Parmesan and the chopped basil and serve.
PASTA WITH PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS
The key to giving a portobello (or any mushroom) dense texture is to cook it slowly in oil so that most of its moisture is driven out. My biggest successes came in taking whole mushrooms and cooking them, covered, for as long as two hours. Nearly as good, however, and more than twice as fast, is to cut up the mushrooms and cook them in oil, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes. At that point, you not only have fabulous mushrooms, which you can use in a pasta sauce, as I do here, or to top salads or stir into rice dishes, but you also have very good-flavored oil. To further improve the mushrooms' flavor, I like to use the trick popularized by Marcella Hazan: add a few reconstituted dried porcini to the portobellos.
Provided by Mark Bittman
Categories brunch, dinner, easy, lunch, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Trim hard parts from mushrooms and discard. Rinse mushrooms quickly to remove grit; cut caps into slices and stems into small chunks. Combine in a medium skillet with 1 clove garlic (crushed and peeled), thyme, olive oil and some salt and pepper. Cook over sufficiently low heat so that mixture bubbles but mushrooms do not brown. Continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until they are quite shrunken in size and appear firm, 30 to 45 minutes. (At this point, you can pause for several hours before resuming cooking.) If you are using porcinis, soak them in hot water to cover for a few minutes so that they soften.
- Set a large pot of water to boil for pasta and salt it. Mince remaining garlic. Turn heat under oil to medium, and add garlic to the portobellos along with the drained porcinis. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to color. Add tomatoes and raise heat to medium high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they break up and become saucy, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta until it is tender but not mushy. Taste sauce and adjust its seasoning. When pasta is done, drain it, toss with sauce, top with Parmesan, and serve.
STUFFED RIGATONI POPPERS RECIPE BY TASTY
Here's what you need: salt, rigatoni, olive oil, ground beef, pepper, dried oregano, dried parsley, medium yellow onion, garlic, shredded mozzarella cheese, oil, all-purpose flour, large eggs, bread crumbs, fresh parsley, shredded parmesan cheese, marinara sauce
Provided by Alix Traeger
Categories Appetizers
Yield 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat, season with a teaspoon of salt, then add the rigatoni.
- Stir and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 5 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the olive oil and stir to coat. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, remaining teaspoon of salt, the pepper, oregano, parsley, onion, garlic, and mozzarella. Stir until combined.
- Spoon the beef mixture into a zip top bag, seal the bag, and cut the corner to create a small opening.
- Pipe the beef mixture into one side of the rigatoni, then flip and pipe the other side to fill.
- Place the filled rigatoni on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large pot until it reaches 350°F (180°C).
- Place the flour, eggs, and bread crumbs into 3 separate medium bowls.
- Take a rigatoni and roll it in the flour to coat, shake off any excess flour. Dip the rigatoni in the egg with a fork. Finally, roll the rigatoni in the bread crumbs until coated. Repeat with the remaining rigatoni.
- Fry the rigatoni poppers 4 at a time until golden brown, about 4 minutes.
- Drain on a wire rack or over paper towels.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and Parmesan.
- Serve with marinara sauce.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 517 calories, Carbohydrate 60 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 27 grams, Sugar 3 grams
SAUSAGE STUFFED RIGATONI
Make and share this Sausage Stuffed Rigatoni recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Recipe Junkie
Categories Pork
Time 2h15m
Yield 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Saute onion in olive oil.
- Pour onions, tomato paste, tomatoes, water, and seasonings into a 3 quart saucepan.
- Stir well.
- Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove bay leaf.
- Brown sausage and add bread crumbs.
- Mix milk and eggs together and add to meat mixture.
- Mix well.
- Cool.
- Stuff each rigatoni with meat mixture.
- Place a layer of rigatoni in 4 quart casserole.
- Pour some of the tomato sauce over noodles and sprinkle with cheese.
- Repeat layers.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
Tips:
- To make the filling, you can use any type of ground meat, such as beef, pork, or turkey. You can also use a combination of meats.
- If you don't have ricotta cheese, you can substitute cottage cheese or mashed potatoes.
- To make the sauce, you can use any type of tomato sauce, such as a store-bought sauce or a homemade sauce.
- If you don't have Parmesan cheese, you can substitute another hard cheese, such as Romano or Asiago.
- To make the rigatoni easier to stuff, you can cook it al dente, which means it should be cooked until it is still firm to the bite.
- If you don't have a piping bag, you can use a spoon to fill the rigatoni.
- To prevent the rigatoni from sticking together, you can toss it with a little olive oil before baking.
- You can bake the stuffed rigatoni in a casserole dish or in individual ramekins.
- If you are baking the stuffed rigatoni in a casserole dish, you can cover it with foil to prevent it from drying out.
- You can garnish the stuffed rigatoni with fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley.
Conclusion:
Marcella's stuffed rigatoni is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The combination of the tender rigatoni, the flavorful filling, and the rich sauce is sure to please everyone at your table. With a little planning, this dish is easy to make and is sure to impress your guests.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »