Simple Tomato Sauce over Rigatoni
2022 Meal #1: Simple Tomato Sauce over Rigatoni with a side of Olive Stuffed Sausage Bites
As I head into a new year that’s sure to be filled with new meals at-home, I’ve been putting a lot of thought into what I want this year of at-home meals to look like, Specifically, what new dishes I want to try, what tried + true meals I want to really nail down, what fun cooking projects I want to try with Jordan. And all such meals to take place in our new kitchen in our brand new, temporary home. The things to factor - it’s small + doing dishes is a bit more of a challenge. No biggie, but it is pushing me in the direction of cooking in bulk a little more, leaning more heavily on my crockpot, & tackling a bigger project that aligns with a meal I want to save in repertoire about 1x a week. Part of that entails honing on some of these meals, + re-making ones that weren’t quite right to truly nail down a recipe. End goal - 52 meals I can be uber proud of this year, and ones that in the moment are fun to make + enjoy in the comfort of our new home. This weekend is week #1, and I’m starting with a bang.
One of my favorite things to eat these days is…..pasta. Just a big bowl of warm + steamy pasta that’s cheesy + saucey + (of course) on top of a crispy bed of arugula. It’s just one of my favorite indulgences these days, ironic only because Jordan + I went a good 5 years with like never purchasing or making pasta (a result of diving deep into the paleo thing). Times have changed, and I’m obsessed with all the veggie loaded pasta dishes coming out of our kitchen these days.
I started the year with a quest to nail my signature red sauce. A simple tomato sauce that would be worthy of “go-to” status in our house. A sauce that’s perfect for dunking garlic bread into, layering into lasagna, or simply pouring over pasta. So it makes sense that the first weekend of 2022 all settled into our new place, I whipped up what I hoped would be the perfect red sauce. & what do you know - totally obsessed!! My very own Simple Tomato Sauce over Rigatoni with a side of Olive Stuffed Sausage Bites (because why not?) for a perfectly simple pasta dish that was beyond delish. And a sauce I’m whipping up in big batches as we head into a year of small kitchen living.
Tomato Trifecta
I feel like red sauce cam be so….. boring. And that’s not what I want my go-to sauce to be! I want it to be exciting, layered with rich, umami flavor, and be a sauce that you 100% want more of. This red sauce quest has been on my mind pretty regularly, and I’ve given red sauce a go a few times in this last month. Each time it just lacked that “pop” - needed more umami. So this go around I introduced a new ingredient + added sundried tomatoes for that extra bite. And it was totally the flavor I was looking for.
So in this sauce we’ve got San Marzano tomatoes, tomato paste, + sundried tomatoes for a tomato trifecta (thank you Jordan for that) that just delivers. The San Marzanos add the perfect fresh tomato flavor, tomato paste kind of seals the deal for richness, & the sundried tomatoes add a definitive bite. And it’s the sundried tomato bite that makes it addicting.
Whiskey for an unexpected twist
Alcohol in anything just makes it better. Especially a sauce, + especially a pasta sauce. A little unexpected, but I went the route of adding a splash of whiskey, and very happy with end product. Just a little splash to deglaze the pan, and then let it cook low + slow to mellow out the sharp whiskey flavor, and your left with a perfect sauce.
The other x-factor ingredients - parmesan cheese, a generous amount of fresh basil + a half cup heavy cream. Important note - it neds to be real deal cream. In my experimenting, I tried it with half n half, and it was just not it.
Get the good stuff
I mean - I like to use a good whiskey (a little shot for the pasta sauce + for me), good parmesan of course, but don’t cheap out on the pasta. If nothing else - get the good pasta. If you get it from a gourmet grocer, it’s usually thicker + just tastes better. And the big rigatoni noodles really soaks up the sauce. Total perfection.
A perfect meal to kickstart the new year, and a great red sauce I’ll be cooking over + over again.
For the sauce
2-3 tbsp EVOO
1 shallot, minced
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 can San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 c. tomato pasta
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. whiskey
1/2 c. parmesan (the good stuff)
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes, dried lightly to remove excess oil + minced
1 package of rigatoni pasta
Fresh arugula, for serving
Start by placing a large skillet over medium heat. Add the EVOO (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and then the garlic. Let toast for 2-3 minutes so it gets nice + fragrant. Add the shallots, cooking over medium heat for another 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat to medium low, add in the San Marzano tomatoes, and cook for 15-20 miinutes. Keep the pan covered, stirring occasionally to make sure it’s not burning (low + slow is the mentality), and use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes as the cook and become softer. Add in the tomato paste + seasonings. Stir until combined, and keep cover over medium low for another 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium heat so the sauce is bubbling, + deglaze the pan with the whiskey. Let simmer for 5-7 minutes + add in the parmesan. Stir to incorporate + reduce the heat to low, stirring until the cheese is totally melted. Cover and let the sauce continue to cook on low for another 10 minutes.
Move to cooking the rigatoni to package instructions, being sure to cook the pasta in salted water. Cook to al dente.
Add the cream + sun dried tomatoes to the sauce. Stir to incorporate. Pour in the rigatoni and about 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Stir to coat the noodles in the sauce, add in the basil, and cover the pan to cook another 5 minutes. Serve over a small handful oof fresh arugula with a pinch of additional parmesan on topo.