Rigatoni Pasta with Nonna Pat’s Marinara Sauce & Capers
Simple and elegant, this lovely pasta packs luscious texture and flavor thanks to the addition of fruity capers.
Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 jar Nonna Pat’s marinara sauce
1 pound chicken Italian sausage
¼ cup olives, pitted and sliced (optional)
2-3 tablespoons capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly-chopped parsley
Freshly-grated Grana cheese, for serving
Method:
1. Cook rigatoni for 5-7 minutes in a pot of heavily salted water until al dente, just cooked through with a bit of bite left. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook chicken Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium-high until no longer pink, breaking into bite-sized pieces with a spoon. Add in cooked pasta, marinara sauce, capers and olives (if using), along with butter, tossing to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta cooking water if pasta mixture is dry. To serve, sprinkle with fresh parsley and grated Grana cheese.
Italian Classic Recipes
As they say, the classics never go out of style, and this week we are sharing one of our favorite tried-and-true combinations: stuffed pasta shells with housemade ricotta and our Nonna Pat’s tomato sauce. Intensely flavorful, this traditional family recipe captures the fresh summer flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes, garlic and basil; pair with garlic fougasse bread, a grating of aged Vecchio cheese and white Burgundy wine for a meal that is both incredibly seasonal and yet timeless, too.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tomato Sauce
Our spin on the Italian classic is freshened up by bright parsley, basil and handmade ricotta cheese.
Sautéed Spigariello Greens
These hearty, kale-like greens are cooked with garlic and chili flakes, then drizzled with honey for just a touch of sweetness.
Bok Choy with Garlic & Ginger
Fresh ginger and fragrant garlic lend big flavor to sautéed bok choy greens.
Stuffed Pasta Shells with Tomato Sauce
Our spin on the Italian classic is freshened up by bright parsley, basil and handmade ricotta cheese.
Ingredients:
1 pound lumacone shell pasta
1 jar Nonna Pat’s tomato sauce
3 ½ cups Farm & Larder fresh ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Romano cheese
1 egg
12 basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Farm & Larder Vecchio cheese (for grating)
Method:
1. Cook pasta shells for half the cooking time; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix ricotta, Romano cheese, egg, salt and pepper, basil and parsley. Stir until combined.
3. To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with ½ cup tomato sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture. Place face down on the sauce. Repeat with shells until cheese mixture is gone. Top shells with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with grated Vecchio cheese.
4. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
The Story of Nonna Pat’s Classic Tomato Sauce
In life, the simplest things are often the best: fresh fruit plucked straight from the vine, a warm scone topped with butter and homemade jam, or a plate of pasta dressed with our Nonna Pat’s classic tomato sauce.
The inspiration behind our first weekly box, Nonna Pat is the only daughter of Sicilian-Italian immigrants and was born and raised in New York. For years, she ran a bed & breakfast in Maine and welcomed guests for Sunday supper—a tradition she still carries on today at age 73.
Her classic, simple tomato sauce is often at the heart of these meals—and would make a great foundation for your next family get-together. Crafted with 5 pounds of tomatoes in each jar (and lots of love), the key to this recipe is its simplicity: tomatoes, a handful of hand-torn basil leaves, a swirl of first-press Italian olive oil, then sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. That’s it. No sugar added.
The quality of the ingredients is what makes this recipe sing: Look for a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil and fresh, organic herbs. Each summer, we spend many weeks in the kitchen making and preserving this traditional sauce to enjoy throughout the year.
Our Nonna Pat serves this sauce over fresh pasta alongside braised rapini greens sautéed with garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper; or adds Italian sausage and bresaola to make Italian-style “gravy”. It is also an excellent addition to stuffed shells or manicotti. But, as we said, the simple route will do the trick: Try cooking a pound of fresh pasta and tossing with Nonna Pat’s sauce and top with grated parmesan for a truly satisfying supper.
