These Delicious Rigatoni Pasta Dishes Are A Must-Try

Hailing from the cuisine of southern Italy, the Rigatoni pasta are a tube shaped pasta, found in various diameters and length. The shape of the Rigatoni pasta makes it able to hold meatier sauces and more grated cheese than other pastas. An interesting story that involves this pasta is the story of a restaurant named Gino’s in New York. Legend has it that Gino’s Rigatoni Pasta was one of the best in America. Foodies travelled long and far to get a taste and tried to decode the recipe. Rumours of some special ingredient lending the delicious taste to the dish, did the rounds. The murmurs maintained that the secret ingredient was butter. The restaurant shut and the butter legend got confirmed. However all was not as it seemed. The recipe that got leaked had the mention of only half tea spoon of butter. The regular customers of this restaurant could confirm that that didn’t sound right. So, the mystery of the missing ingredient remained a mystery. Many people think that the secret ingredient was freshly made Rigatoni pasta. This delicious pasta that has everyone amazed and charmed with its taste and size, warrants a try. Here are some recipes that you can try out using the Rigatoni Pasta: 

1) Baked Rigatoni Pasta

The best way to have the Rigatoni Pasta is to bake it. The cheesy Baked Rigatoni Pasta tossed in red sauce is savoury, spicy and zesty. The mozzarella cheese that’s put on top of the pasta balances out the tomato garlic sauce in a wonderful way. If you want to add some more flavour to this baked delight, throw in some kale, red pepper, zucchini etc. If you want to give this recipe a protein boost, consider adding chicken or pork sausages. If you have left over marinara sauce, you can refrigerate it and use it for other pasta or pizza dishes. 

2) Garlic Parmesan Rigatoni With Chicken Sausage & Broccoli

This recipe is for all times when you’re short of time to put together a hearty meal on the table for your loved ones. For people who are vegetarians, you can leave out the chicken sausage as an ingredient and add more veggies - almost about a cup. To make up for the loss of protein when avoiding chicken, increase the Parmesan cheese by a few tablespoons. Vegans could substitute the chicken sausage for a soy sausage. If your children don’t like broccoli, consider substituting it with kale. 

3) Vegan Rigatoni with Peppers and Sausage

This recipe is great for those who follow a vegan diet. Vegan Rigatoni with Peppers and Sausages uses plant based sausages, sweet peppers, herbs and Rigatoni pasta. This dish is subtly sweet and spicy in flavour. This rich and savoury pasta recipe is a healthier alternative to meat based pastas. The use of vegan ingredients doesn’t compromise on the taste and flavour of the dish. The recipe is full of vitamins and minerals. This calcium rich recipe should be paired with a side salad to add a touch of fibre to your meal and make it more digestion-friendly! 

4) Five-Cheese Rigatoni

If you’re in the mood for an indulgence, go with the Five-Cheese Rigatoni pasta. Make sure you have authentic cheese ingredients as doubling up on one particular cheese flavour to substitute for another flavour will wreck the pasta. This cheesy pasta recipe is extremely simple to follow. If you want to add some flavour to this meal, serve this cheesy pasta with a side of antipasti like tomatoes and basil bruschetta topped with a drizzle of olive oil and vinaigrette. A Caprese salad could be added to the sides to incorporate a more nutritional profile for this dish.