“Pantry” Rigatoni With Spicy Tomato Sauce, Crispy Breadcrumbs and Ricotta

I made this simple but delicious pasta last night using pantry staples and it was so so delicious. Given everything that’s been going on right now with the stay home order, I want to share! It’s really easy to throw together and also makes awesome leftovers (am I alone in loving to eat leftover pasta cold?!). You could even bake the leftovers in a baking dish layered with mozzarella for a yummy baked pasta sitch the next day.

I’m planning on posting some more easy pantry staple recipes over the coming days, so stay tuned for more content like this (and please send suggestions on ingredients you’d like to see me cook with!).

Sending positive thoughts to everyone – stay safe and healthy out there!

Serves 4-5

INGREDIENTS

• 1 22 oz. can tomatoes or tomato puree (can be whole, diced or pureed – anything you have on hand!)

• 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced

• Kosher salt

• 3 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 3 anchovies

• 2 tsp capers, minced

• 2 tsp date syrup (can use sugar instead – you just need a little sweetness to balance the sauce)

• 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar (or any light vinegar, i.e. champagne or rice vinegar)

• Kosher salt

• 1 lb. rigatoni

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

• Ricotta (to finish)

• Pea shoots, fresh herbs, arugula, or any tender greens (to finish)

• Crispy breadcrumbs (see note)

METHOD

1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, if your tomatoes are whole or diced, blend them into a smooth puree using a blender. If you have pureed tomatoes, you can skip this step.

3. Heat a large pan over medium-low heat and add the olive oil along with the diced yellow onions and a big pinch of salt. Allow the onions to soften up, stirring every once in a while, about 5-7 minutes. You don’t want to brown the onions, so adjust the heat as necessary.

4. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.

5. Add the anchovies and use your wooden spoon to break them up. They will eventually melt into the mixture (and trust me – they’re so key in this dish, don’t skip them if you have them!).

6. Once the anchovies have melted down, add the pureed tomatoes, capers, date syrup and white balsamic vinegar and bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, turn down the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow to gently simmer for ~10 minutes.

7. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in the pot of boiling water. Make sure to generously salt your water before adding the pasta. Cook the pasta one minute less than the time it takes to reach al dente (we will finish cooking the pasta in the red sauce!).

8. Using a spider or slotted spoon, add the pasta directly into the pan of red sauce, along with 1/4 cup of pasta water. With the heat still on, allow the pasta to simmer in the sauce, continually stirring, for about 1 minute or until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the butter to finish and add kosher salt to taste.

9. Serve the pasta topped with a dollop of ricotta on each portion. Finish with pea shoots (or any fresh herb/green) and crispy breadcrumbs (see note).

NOTES

• Crispy Breadcrumbs: To make crispy toasted breadcrumbs, just pour any amount of panko breadcrumbs into a saute pan over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir the breadcrumbs constantly with a wooden spoon to ensure even browning. Once nice and toasted, remove from the pan immediately and transfer to a sheet tray or plate to cool. I like to make a big batch and store at room temp in an air-tight container. They’re great to add texture to pasta dishes, beans, stews, braises, etc! I also love mixing in things like freshly grated Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, etc. into my breadcrumbs depending on what I’m serving them with but for this dish, just plain toasted breadcrumbs work great!

• Ricotta: The ricotta on top adds a cooling, creamy element to the dish but feel free to skip if you’re dairy free. If you don’t have ricotta, you can sub it out for any mild, creamy cheese (think mascarpone, fromage blanc, burrata, etc). While I love a Parmesan moment, I’d skip it in this case – it’s a little too salty for this super savory/already salty sauce.