Rigatoni With Fresh Plum Tomato Recipes

RIGATONI WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• In a small skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring often, until tender and just beginning to take on color, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in red-pepper flakes.
• Stir garlic mixture into reserved tomato mixture. Add parsley, oregano, mozzarella, and pasta; toss.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Prepare oven-dried tomatoes:
• Skin the tomatoes by placing them in boiling water for 30 seconds and then plunging them right away in ice water. This will help you remove the skin without cooking the tomatoes. Using a paring knife, peel the skin off the tomatoes and then cut them in 1/2 lengthwise. Place the tomatoes in a bowl, sprinkle with alt and add the thyme and 2 ounces of olive oil. Arrange the tomatoes with the thyme sprigs on a non-reactive baking pan. Leave enough space around the tomato halves so they don't touch, allowing air to circulate and dry them out. Put them in a 300 degree F oven to dry for 2 hours.
• Prepare the garlic:
• Place the garlic cloves in a small pot and cover with 2 cups of olive oil. Simmer very slowly for 40 minutes, until the garlic is soft. Remove them from the oil and set aside at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare the eggplant:
• Slice the eggplant into 1-inch rounds. Put them in a bowl and sprinkle generously with salt. Drizzle olive oil over them and toss. Arrange the rounds on a baking pan, leaving enough space between each slice so that they cook evenly. Bake until they are soft and slightly brown, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare the pasta:
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook until "al dente" or even slightly undercooked, about 6 to 8 minutes. Since the pasta will be cooked in the oven, it's important not to overcook the pasta in the boiling water. Drain the pasta in a colander and toss with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking. Set aside.
• Assemble and bake dish:
• Raise oven temperature to 425 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, combine the pasta, eggplant, tomato, garlic, scallion and basil and mix well. Add the ricotta and toss gently so that the ingredients are distributed among the pasta but that the ricotta is not completely mixed through. The idea here is to have distinct and differing flavors, so it is important that the ricotta be spread in roughly tablespoon size pieces. Season, if necessary, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Transfer to a large greased earthenware or glass baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake in the oven until the pasta is brown and crisp on top, about 10 to 15 minutes.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor to a coarse purée. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
• In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add yellow pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
• Add tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste, and turn up heat to medium-high. When tomatoes begin to bubble briskly and sputter, turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant, thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Add olives, black pepper and basil, stir together, taste and adjust seasoning.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil.
• When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add rigatoni. Cook al dente, removing from the water 1 minute sooner than indicated in the package instructions. (Reserve some of the cooking water.) Transfer pasta to a large bowl.
• If the tomato sauce seems very thick, thin out as desired with 2 to 4 tablespoons pasta cooking water. Scrape into bowl with pasta, add cheeses and toss well. Scrape into prepared baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Cover with foil.
• Bake 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown in spots. Serve hot.

PASTA WITH FRESH TOMATO SAUCE AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water, making sure to keep it quite al dente.
• Put butter in a wide deep skillet over medium heat. Add drained pasta to the pan and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, if using.
• Add tomato sauce gradually and stir to coat pasta, using only enough sauce for a light coating (you may not need the entire 2 1/2 cups).
• Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl and dot top with spoonfuls of ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with pecorino and garnish with a few torn basil leaves.

RIGATONI WITH FRESH TOMATOES AND BASIL

Steps:

• Heat oil in large skillet.
• Add garlic and fry until sizzling.
• Add tomatoes and basil and saute until tomatoes are tender. (about 5 minutes).
• Stir in salt and pepper.
• Add cheese cubes, stir quickly, and pour over pasta. (Cubes should be slightly melted but still retaining their shape).
• Serve and enjoy!

RIGATONI WITH FRESH PLUM TOMATO

Steps:

• Cook your rigatoni as instructed on the package, or use left leftovers,
• Spray a wok or large skillet with cooking olive oil spray.
• Heat over medium heat , add the onions garlic, and red pepper flakes if using.
• Cook and stir one minute.
• Add the sliced zucchini, basil, oregano (or marjoram) salt and pepper.
• Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes until zucchini is tender.
• Stir in the plum tomatoes and the cooked pasta.
• Heat thoroughly, But don't over cook.
• Place onto serving dishes and sprinkle with the crumbled cheese.

ITALIAN PLUM TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Wash and score your tomatoes by making a slit across the bottom like an x.
• 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add the tomatoes to the boiling water for about 1-1/2 minutes.
• 3. Using a ladle, remove the tomatoes and place them in a strainer. Let cool.
• 4. The tomatoes will peel very easily.
• 5. Using a cutting board, dice all the tomatoes, keeping the juices.
• 6. In a large skillet, add olive oil and brown the garlic. Add your chopped onion and cook until tender.
• 7. Add your diced tomatoes along with the juice.
• 8. Add salt, pepper, pinch of sugar, crushed red pepper and oregano. Add the bunch of basil leaves. This gives the sauce a nice flavor and color.
• 9. Cook down tomatoes on medium heat, breaking some down. Continue cooking down until sauce thickens, about 45 minutes.
• 10. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the tomatoes.

FRESH PLUM TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and brown for 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar; cook for 15 minutes.
• Place a large bowl on a work surface. Insert a colander inside the bowl. Place cooked tomatoes in the colander to drain, saving excess liquid. Transfer tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until blended to the desired consistency. Return tomatoes to the saucepan. Add basil and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more, adding some of the reserved tomato liquid if the sauce is too thick.