Zucchini Rigatoni

For some reason, I have been on an Italian kick lately - not sure why, but Italian just sounds so good for dinner.  And since my husband hasn't complained (yet!!), I guess we will continue eating Italian for a while - LOL!

I borrowed the book Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich from the library.  I think I will probably end up buying a copy, she has a lot of good recipes in there.  She has a cooking show on PBS, so you may have seen her.

If your garden is like mine, you have plenty of zucchini (or have a friend who willing "donates" tons of zucchini) and you can only make SO much zucchini bread!  Well, here's a recipe for you!!

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 loosely packed cup of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound rigatoni
8 ounces shredded Fontina cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you can't find Fontini cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes - until the onions soften.

Add the sliced zucchini and cook an additional 5 more minutes until it begins to soften.

I sliced some of the larger pieces in half or quarters. 

Add the crushed tomatoes and chopped basil - slosh the tomato can out with 1 cup of water and add to the skillet.  Doesn't that look pretty!

Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package.  Drain and toss in the skillet with the sauce.

Toss the two cheeses together.

Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spread half the pasta/sauce mix and top with the cheese.  Press another layer of the pasta/sauce mix and add  remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered until brown and bubbly - about 20 minutes.

ENJOY!!

VERDICT:

My resident "judge" (my husband) loved it.  Asked me to put it in his lunch for the next day.  So this is definitely a keeper recipe.  I liked it (yes, you know there is a BUT coming) . . . BUT I thought it was a bit heavy on the pasta.  I think next time I would use only 3/4 of the box of rigatoni, not the whole box.  Just seemed to be too much pasta and not enough of the sauce/zucchini (just my own personal opinion).  Otherwise, I thought the recipe was great and I will be making it again with this slight modification. 

Recipe:

Zucchini Rigatoni
 
Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound medium zucchini, thinly sliced
1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 loosely packed cup of basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 pound rigatoni
8 ounces shredded Fontina cheese or Mozzarella cheese if you can't find Fontini cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes - until the onions soften.
Add the sliced zucchini and cook an additional 5 more minutes until it begins to soften.
I sliced some of the larger pieces in half or quarters. 

Add the crushed tomatoes and chopped basil - slosh the tomato can out with 1 cup of water and add to the skillet.  Doesn't that look pretty!
Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package.  Drain and toss in the skillet with the sauce.
Toss the two cheeses together.
 Using a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, spread half the pasta/sauce mix and top with the cheese.  Press another layer of the pasta/sauce mix and add  remaining cheese.
 Bake uncovered until brown and bubbly - about 20 minutes.