my less serious momma: easy rigatoni

I recently began a new series called my less serious momma, where my mom shares her tried and true recipes in her own words and from her own perspective. 

Her latest recipes are to the theme, which she devised herself, of Red Hot Momma. Brilliant. And, let's not forget her first recipe was red beet eggs - how fitting! First up, a red hot easy rigatoni - from my mom to your table.

Take it away, mom...

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I think I’ve worked most of my life so I’ve always looked for fast, easy, and tasty. Long ago a friend told me the secret of red sauce was to brown the tomato paste, and thus began my long repertoire of easy red recipes. Easy to adapt to carnivores and herbivores, my classics are easy to strip of meat, a twist learned when my son married a vegetarian.  

 

Red Recipe #1.  Easy Rigatoni

Redlight warning—this makes a lot so be prepared to freeze or eat it three times. I roast zucchini and yellow squash and onions for the repeat dish and simply toss it in the sauce to serve. 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 chopped onion

3 crushed clove garlic

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

 1 ½ tsp oregano

1 ½ tsp basil

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

rigatoni

grated Parmesan to taste

Saute garlic and onion in heated olive oil, about 10 minutes. Add tomato taste and fry another 3-5 minutes. Add everything else, except rigatoni and simmer about 30 minutes. Cook rigatoni, toss w sauce, add cheese, eat. Consider wearing an apron.

 

Here’s the ingredients, easy to keep on hand.

Lightly sautéed onions.

Frying the tomato paste.

Enjoying with lightly browned garlic bread (just butter and garlic salt on Italian bread).

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Thanks, mom. And, I must say - I've made this dish and it is, indeed, both easy and delicious. Stay tuned for the next red-themed recipe, Easy Eggplant Parmesan.