Rigatoni con Pepperoni
This recipe for Rigatoni con Pepperoni is from my brother up in Maryland!
From my brother Rick:
This is true ‘common-people’ Italian food. Its not fancy, inexpensive to make, quick and is a common lunch/dinner dish in many eateries frequented by local workers in Italy. If you like pepperoni on your pizza…you’re going to love this pasta dish.
When our mother first came to visit us for Thanksgiving, in Maryland, we had just bought our first house and didn’t have two pennies to rub together. Rigatoni con Pepperoni was inspired by Jeff Smith (Frugal Gourmet), in his book ‘…cooks with wine’, and was a perfect dish to serve for a large number of guests without breaking the bank. The funny thing is….this has become a favorite with my family. I would suspect, much like the Italian families, an idea born out of frugality grew up into one of the top requested dinners in our home. It’s a dish that gets repeated every 6 weeks or I hear about it. Over the years…I have learned that I always, always, always double this recipe. It is a great lunch and travels well to work on Monday.
From Chris:
This is another go to recipe that I make from the staples that I always keep around in my kitchen. Pepperoni in the freezer (always), different kinds of pasta in a basket that I keep in my pantry closet and I am never without canned tomatoes and fresh parmesan cheese in the refrigerator. You can throw this together on the fly in less than 30 minutes and feed a hungry crowd in no time at all!
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 2 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 lb peperroni, sliced thin
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb rigatoni, cooked al dente
- parmesan or romano cheese, freshly grated for topping
- Heat a frying pan and saute the garlic and onion in the olive oil, just until clear.
- Add the tomatoes and pepperoni. saute until the tomatoes cook down a bit, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cream, salt and pepper.
- Toss with the rigatoni and top with cheese.
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