Big Rig Pasta | Oregano's Copycat Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is rigatoni from oregano's? ›

Stuffed Riga Tony

These tubular rigatoni are hand stuffed with our fresh ricotta cheese, Oregano's herbs and covered with a slightly creamy meat sauce. It's finished with shredded Parmesan.

Combine cooked pasta, oregano pesto, and a splash of pasta water in a skillet and cook on medium-high heat until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta. Add more pasta water as needed. Toss the cherry tomatoes into the skillet for the last minute of cooking. Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Add some mix-ins

Now's the time to get really creative with your pasta. Add in some chopped olives or jarred tapenade, quartered artichoke hearts, or sun-dried tomatoes in oil, capers, sliced pickled chiles or roasted red peppers, drained canned tuna or other tinned seafood.

Slightly sweeter than the 'Greek' Oregano, the 'Italian' is the herb that brings delicious Italian dishes to life. Popularized after World War II when soldiers brought their love of Italian cuisine home with them from overseas, the 'Italian' Oregano became the quintessential pizza herb.

The word rigatoni comes from the Italian word rigato (that stands for 'lined', 'striped', 'ruled', rigatone being the augmentative, and rigatoni the plural form), which means 'ridged' or 'lined', and is associated with the cuisine of southern and central Italy.

Fresh basil is the natural choice with simple pasta sauces like marinara, but parsley, cilantro, and even mint can also give pasta dishes a burst of fragrant flavor when they're sprinkled on just before serving.

Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the key to boosting earthiness and adding a touch of nuttiness to your spaghetti sauce. Nutmeg also has a slightly sweet flavor, which we know goes great with acidic canned tomatoes. Overall, it accentuates the other ingredients in the sauce and adds complexity.

Ironically, oregano is not as commonly used in Italian cooking as other herbs, such as parsley or basil. Oregano is more flavorful in its dried form and is used more commonly in southern Italian and Sicilian dishes. Health benefits of oregano include high amounts of Omega-3s, iron, manganese, and antioxidants.

Is oregano or basil better for pasta? ›

Season your sauce properly for the best results

You can also choose to go the fresh basil route, but you'll want to pair it with fresh oregano, too. Just make sure to add plenty more fresh herbs than you would dried, since the drying process packs more flavor into the herbs.

Always bring water to the boil before adding pasta. Otherwise the exterior will start to turn mushy before the center softens. Once boiling, add plenty of salt: about 7 grams per liter of water; this doesn't just flavour the pasta, but also shortens its cooking time.

Cheese is an excellent way to add flavor to your pasta without having to rely on sauce. Try mixing your angel hair pasta with goat cheese, and toss in sun-dried tomatoes to make an amazing meal with just a few ingredients. Garlic butter is a terrific way to season all types of noodles.

Ingredients: SEMOLINA (WHEAT), DURUM WHEAT FLOUR.

Oregano is strongly aromatic (its distinct scent is practically synonymous with many versions of tomato sauce) and has a pungent flavor that's a bit earthy and minty. It's traditionally used in southern Italian and Sicilian dishes, including everything from tomato-based pasta sauces to grilled fish.

Combining the wet or fresh with the condensed enables cooks to achieve a nice depth of tomato flavor. When it comes to spice, the consensus is that fresh garlic, browned onions, bell peppers and dried oregano and basil (not “Italian Spice” mixtures) yield the best old-fashioned flavor.

Rigatoni is like a Ziti or Penne but a little bigger with ridged edges that hold sauce and grated cheese perfectly. It's name comes from the word “rigato”, meaning ridged. It's ideal for both heavy sauces and simple dishes as it holds the flavor in every bite.