Creamy Skillet Rigatoni Bolognese Food

RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Make the soffrito. Finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Yes, you can do this in a food processor. No, we don't generally. We like the soffrito to have some texture, not turn into pulp.
• Sweat the veggies. Heat olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven over medium-low to medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes until translucent. Raise the heat to medium, then add the carrot and celery. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Brown the meat. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef and ground pork. Season the meat immediately with 2 tsp Kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Let this cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Deglaze the pan. Pour in red wine, allowing it to reduce and evaporate, about 3-4 minutes. Don't worry, all the flavor stays behind!
• Skim the fat. Once the wine reduces, you'll see excess fat float to the top of the pan. Use a spoon to skim the fat, then discard. This will yield about ¾ - 1 cup of fat. Removing this makes the bolognese sauce less greasy.
• Add remaining liquid. Pour in the whole milk and chicken stock. Next, crush the tomatoes with your hands directly into the pot. Add two bay leaves and -- the most important part of the recipe! -- ½ lb finely chopped chicken livers.
• Simmer low and slow. Allow the sauce to simmer over low heat for 3 hours, checking on it and stirring every 30 minutes or so. If the heat is at a proper simmer, you shouldn't need to add any additional liquid at all.
• Finish the sauce. Remove the bay leaves, then add freshly chopped rosemary and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
• When ready to serve, cook pasta. Cook rigatoni or other pasta according to package directions for al dente, meaning just slightly undercooked by 1-2 minutes. This is important! Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, do NOT rinse, and set aside.
• Cook with pasta in the sauce. Transfer as much bolognese as you want to a large skillet. Heat over medium high heat until bubbly. Add al dente rigatoni or other pasta shape directly to the pan. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan often, so that each piece of pasta is completely coated with sauce. The final step: add a couple tablespoons (more, if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. The starch from cooking the pasta will thicken the sauce and bring it to life!
• To serve. Add a couple tablespoons (more, if making a lot of pasta) of the reserved pasta cooking water to help bind the sauce together. Divide pasta between bowls, then serve with grated lemon zest and freshly grated Parmesan!

RIGATONI WITH SUMMER BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente, about 12 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until evenly combined, 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until almost completely dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water, the tomatoes and half the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the mixture is saucy, 4 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cheese to the sauce, then add the rigatoni; season with salt and pepper and toss, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Divide among bowls and top with the remaining basil and more parmesan.

CREAMY SKILLET RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Cook sausage, onions and garlic in large skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat until sausage is done, stirring frequently. Stir in pasta sauce and water. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
• Add pasta; stir. Cover; simmer on medium-low heat 15 to 17 min. or just until pasta is tender. Add cream cheese; cook and stir 1 to 2 min. or until completely melted. Remove from heat.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan.

CHEESY SAUSAGE RIGATONI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions; drain and set aside to cool.
• Saute the onions in the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Crumble in the sausage, add the crushed red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the marinara sauce, mix everything together and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• To assemble, add about 2 spoonfuls of the sauce--just enough to coat the bottom--to a baking dish. Then layer half of the cooled noodles, half of the mozzarella cubes and half of the remaining sauce. Repeat the process: layer the remaining noodles, mozzarella and sauce, then top with the Parmesan. Cover and put in the fridge or freezer until ready to cook.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the rigatoni until heated through and bubbling, 25 minutes straight from the fridge, or 2 hours straight from the freezer. Garnish with minced parsley before serving.

RIGATONI WITH WHITE BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Add enough oil to a large, deep sauté pan to coat the base and place over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until glassy and just tender, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the sausage and beef to the pan, breaking it into walnut-size pieces, and brown well.
• Pour in the wine and keep at a rapid simmer until the pan is almost dry. Then pour in 1 1/2 cups beef bouillon and lower the heat to medium. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the bouillon is nearly gone, stirring now and then. Meanwhile, chop the rehydrated porcini into small pieces, reserving the liquid.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mushroom liquid to the sauce to cover the meat halfway (about 1 cup) along with the porcini and continue simmering until the sauce is loose but not soupy, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper; it should be highly seasoned. When the consistency is right, fold the cream in. Remove from the heat and cover.
• When the pasta water is at a full boil, add the rigatoni and cook until still firm, but not hard, in the center. When the pasta is almost done, scoop out 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Pour the pasta sauce on top and fold in with a wooden spoon. The pasta should not be dry. Add a little pasta water or mushroom liquid to loosen it. (It will continue to soak up sauce on the way to the table.) Serve in one large bowl or in individual bowls, passing the cheese at the table.

AUTHENTIC RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Put the olive oil into a pan. Add the chopped veggies and saute until the celery softens.
• Add ground beef or veal and saute until meat browns.
• Add your favorite red wine (the alcohol will be absorbed during cooking process).
• Add the crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and allow this to simmer over low heat for at least an hour until sauce thickens.
• Boil rigatoni in hot, salted water.
• To plate the dish, put the rigatoni in a bowl, pour some sauce on top and garnish with some fresh parsley.

CREAMY SKILLET CORN

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sugar, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in corn and water, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in cream, and cook until cream is reduced and sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.