Description
Hearty rigatoni pasta tossed in a rich, thick homemade tomato sauce, infused with garlic, onions, and herbs for a comforting and satisfying Italian-style meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400 g rigatoni pasta
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 800 g crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and sauté for 5–7 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar, and chili flakes.
- Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes until thick and rich.
- Remove bay leaf and add cooked rigatoni to the sauce.
- Toss well, adding reserved pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.
Notes
- Use bronze-cut rigatoni for better sauce adhesion.
- Add sautéed mushrooms or olives for variation.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Serve with crusty bread or a green salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg