Name: Rigatoni with Meat Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 cup); 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped (about 1/3 cup); 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup); 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried; 12 ounces lean ground beef (85%); 5 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil; 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups); 12 ounces rigatoni pasta; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese; 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

The finished pasta in a blue enameled castiron pan garnished with shaved Pecorino and strips of basil.

Photo by Marge Perry

This is the hearty pasta dish that everyone loves to eat. It gets its stick-to-your-bones, deep, rich flavor from the ground beef cooked in red wine and a double hit of tomatoes. We use canned crushed tomatoes to give the sauce body and tomato paste for intensity. The diced zucchini melds into the sauce and adds texture and heft to the meat (and more vegetable nutrients). As with all heroic pasta dishes, the rigatoni cooks right in the sauce, which not only saves you from having to wash an extra pan—it makes the pasta more flavorful. Serve this with a green salad dressed with a shallot vinaigrette.

Recipe notes

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