Rigatoni al Segreto (Rigatoni with Secret Sauce)

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed (or more to taste)

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 (28 ounce) can San Marzano (Italian) tomatoes, blended smooth

½ cup water (to rinse out can of tomatoes)

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked rigatoni pasta

½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving

Directions

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and salt. Cook until no longer white and starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook about 1 minute. Add red pepper flakes, then blended tomatoes with water. Bring to a simmer; adjust heat to medium or medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes (5 minutes from doneness).

Add about 2/3 of the basil to the sauce. Stir in butter. When butter melts, add cheese in 3 increments.

Drain pasta; transfer to sauce. Stir until rigatoni are evenly coated with sauce. Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil and a dusting of grated cheese.

Nutrition

• Calories: 596 kcal
• Total Fat: 33 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 48 mg
• Sodium: 1431 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 58 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 4 g
• Protein: 18 g