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Rigatoni with "Stuffed" Bell Pepper Sauce

Sfoglini Pasta Recipe: Rigatoni with "Stuffed" Bell Pepper Sauce

Traditional stuffed bell peppers are deconstructed in a fresh take on a classic dish that has deep, long-simmered flavor with a quick and easy preparation! This rich, hearty sauce pairs perfectly with Sfoglini’s Rigatoni, with the sauce hiding inside the tubes and clinging to the ridges on the outside. For ease of preparation, we opted for jarred roasted red peppers, but making our own Italian seasoning blend gave this recipe just the right amount of a home-made touch.

INGREDIENTS

MAKES FOUR - SIX SERVINGS

  • 2 medium onions, rough diced
  • 2 medium carrots, rough diced
  • 2 large celery stalks, rough diced
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild or hot
  • 1 pound ground beef, preferably lean
  • 2 16-ounce jars roasted red peppers
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend, homemade or store bought
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry Italian red wine, such as Chianti or Sangiovese
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped small
  • A Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
  • 3-4 sprigs of fresh basil
  • 1 8-ounce Mozzarella cheese block
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound Sfoglini Rigatoni

    DIRECTIONS

    Combine the onions, carrots, and celery stalks, in a food processor and pulse until they are finely ground, almost to a paste. 

    Heat olive oil in a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrot, and celery mixture and cook, stirring and adjusting heat as necessary to keep from browning, until liquid has evaporated, approximately 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, continuing to stir, for 1-2 minutes or until the raw garlic smell is gone. Add the sausage and ground beef, stirring and breaking up so no significant chunks remain. Cook over medium heat with the vegetables until the meat is no longer pink. 

    While the meat is cooking, pulse the red peppers and their juice in the food processor until no chunks larger than one half-inch remain. 

    Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste to the pan and stir, followed by the wine, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Stir gently until everything is combined. Add the Parmesan cheese rind and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Cover the pan with a splatter screen or a slightly open lid and simmer for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat so the sauce doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. Then add the basil to the pan, letting it sit over top of the sauce and continue to simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

    While the sauce continues to simmer, shred the mozzarella. Once the sauce is ready, take the pan off the stove and remove the Parmesan rind and the basil. Stir in half the mozzarella and the butter. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

    Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before straining.

    Strain the pasta and return (off heat) to the pot. Add the sauce one ladleful at a time and stir until the pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce. Add some pasta water to loosen the sauce, if necessary. Transfer to a large serving dish or to individual plates, passing the extra mozzarella cheese alongside. 

    Bonus Recipe: To make homemade Italian seasoning blend, combine one tablespoon each of dried basil, oregano, and parsley with one half tablespoon each of dried rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. Stir together in a small bowl and store in an airtight container.

    We love seeing your pasta creations! Share your pasta pics with us on social by tagging @sfoglini and using #sfoglini

    Chef’s Note: Any type of ground beef will work for this recipe, but due to the olive oil, sausage, and butter, a leaner type of beef may work better. Don’t use fresh or pre-shredded mozzarella cheese for this recipe as the coating on pre-grated cheese will cause it to not blend into the sauce as desired. This recipe makes a bit of extra sauce. It probably won’t be necessary to use it all for one pound of pasta. Save some to eat as leftovers, use it as a dip or spread for garlic bread, or freeze it and save for a day when you need a quick meal!

    Pasta Swaps: This recipe would also work well with Sfoglini Zucca, Quattrotini, or Einkorn Ziti.