source: Essence Magazine, October 2007
Ingredients
12 ounces of tube pasta such as rigatoni, penne, or ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound precooked, low-fat smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
16-ounce jar of marinara sauce
Optional garnishes: chopped flat-leaf parsley, grated parmesan cheese
Directions
For rigatoni with sausage and peppers, cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile,in large skillet, heat oil. Add sausage, peppers, and onion. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until peppers and onion are tender and the sausage is heated through. Add sauce; bring to simmer. Stir in the drained pasta. If desired, sprinkle with parsley; pass cheese at the table.
Enjoy!
Also, try; Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo recipe
Rigatoni
Rigatoni (US: /rɪɡəˈtoʊni/, Italian: [riɡaˈtoːni]) is a type of pasta. They are larger than penne and ziti, and sometimes slightly curved, but not as curved as elbow macaroni. Rigatoni are characterized by ridges along their length, sometimes spiraling around the tube; unlike penne, the ends of rigatoni are cut perpendicular to the tube walls instead of diagonally.
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. Rigatoncini are a smaller version, close to the size of penne. Their name takes on the diminutive suffix -ino (pluralized -ini), denoting their relative size.
Rigatoni is a particular favourite pasta shape in the south of Italy, especially in Sicily. Its eponymous ridges make better adhesive surfaces for sauces and grated cheese than smooth-sided pasta like ziti. (Wikipedia)
