Last night's dinner was quick and oh so tasty. Funny how we seem to get stuck in a rut as far as trying different pastas - I know I don't buy rigatoni often enough but that's all about to change.
This recipe's courtesy of marthastewart.com and was ready in the blink of an eye. I started the water for the pasta first, then browned the ground meat (in my case beef) which was joined by onion, garlic, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and tomato paste. It cooked for a minute till the spices released their aroma, then some H20 hit the pot and the whole thing simmered for a few minutes to thicken slightly. All the while the rigatoni was cooking joining the sauce the second it was al dente.
Along with a tossed green salad, dinner was on the table in less than 30 minutes - absolutely amazing and I have to admit it was delicious. We seem to enjoy having pasta with our sauce instead of the other way around but in this case the pasta truly has a chance to take center stage. The sauce is rich and flavorful and almost exotic but for heaven's sake don't leave out the cinnamon. That's what it's all about. The whole thing tasted a lot like moussaka - in fact, the next time I make it I'm going to use ground lamb instead of beef, throw in some roasted eggplant too and maybe top it with a little garnish of feta cheese.
Of course it was scrumptious just the way it was although the big guy had to add hot pepper flakes to his, but for sure it'll be on our list for a repeat in the very near future. Thanks Martha. I hadn't visited your site in a long time and it's great to see you haven't lost your touch. I'll be back!
I can't remember the last time I bought rigatoni. You're right, we do get into ruts, don't we?
It looks really tasty and I have nothing planned for dinner. Might be a grilled cheese night!
Posted by: Mags | 12/16/2009 at 02:10 PM
Grilled cheese and tomato soup. MMM - why didn't I think of that?
Posted by: June | 12/16/2009 at 02:21 PM