Rigatoni alla Gonzaga or rather they would be maccheroni. But do you know the difference? Have you ever understood it? Because according to me, it is the same pasta format but has different names. Anyway, the original recipe says maccheroni but here with me, they are rigatoni. I’ll do some research and share what I find in the curiosities section. Now let’s talk about these rigatoni alla Gonzaga. They are a typical Mantuan dish. It’s said to have been created at the Gonzaga court by their cook Bartolomeo Stefani. Since then, the recipe has remained unchanged, bringing to our tables a dish as rich in ingredients as it is simple. This characteristic makes it perfect for both a daily lunch and a festive day. The recipe for rigatoni alla Gonzaga is very special, and you’ll realize it just by reading the list of ingredients. But I invite you to try it because its taste will surprise both you and your guests.
Not to be missed
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Oven, Stove, Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Lombardy
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 11 oz rigatoni
- 1.75 oz almonds
- 1.75 oz hazelnuts
- 0.7 oz raisins
- 2.8 oz Grana Padano
- 20 leaves basil
- 1 lemon
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste cinnamon
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 0.7 oz butter
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
Tools
- 1 Baking tray
- 1 Silicone sheet reusable parchment paper
- 1 Casserole with low edges
- 1 Chopper Kitchen Aid
- 1 Grater Microplane
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Pot for boiling pasta
Steps
Toast the hazelnuts and almonds in the oven at 392°F for five minutes and let them cool. Place the raisins in a small bowl with some water so that they rehydrate. Transfer the hazelnuts, almonds, squeezed raisins, washed and gently dried basil leaves into the bowl of the chopper and chop everything. Transfer the chopped mixture into a bowl and incorporate half of the grated Grana Padano, the grated zest of half a lemon, and season with nutmeg and cinnamon (a pinch of both), adjust the salt, and add three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water. Melt the butter in a low-edged casserole and add the prepared chopped mixture. Let it flavor by adding a ladle of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta al dente and pour it into the casserole with the sauce. Stir, let it flavor, and serve the pasta with the remaining Grana Padano and a pinch of freshly ground pepper.
Notes
Recipe source: Easy with Taste March 2022.
Curiosities
Maccheroni or rigatoni? Quite a dilemma. The difference lies in the shape or rather the ridges. Maccheroni was mainly used in the south in the past to refer to both long and short pasta. Today it refers to a type of tubular pasta without ridges. While rigatoni has ridges. If they are straight, they are rigatoni. If they are spiral, they are tortiglioni. I have never seen maccheroni without ridges. And in the magazine photo featuring the recipe for these “Maccheroni alla Gonzaga,” the pasta has ridges. Anyway, if you know more about it, let me know.
