Rigatoni Portofino

I just happened to be flipping through the channels one night and saw that Martha Stewart had Valentino on her show. He was just getting ready to show her how he makes his rigatoni Portofino. I’ve never seen pesto made the way he likes it so I was intrigued to watch more of the show. Pine nuts (one of the main ingredients in pesto) are actually seeds and come from pine cones. Pine nuts high concentration of monounsaturated fat paves the way for a healthier cardiovascular system. The vitamin D in pine nuts leads to stronger bones and teeth by improving the body’s ability to absorb calcium.

Serves 4
recipe from Valentino

1 cup pine nuts
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
10 fresh parsley leaves
1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
Two 28 oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes, chopped
8 oz. onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 lb. rigatoni

Place pine nuts, Parmesan, parsley, pinch of salt and 1 cup olive oil in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add basil and continue to pulse until mixture is smooth; set aside.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, celery; cook until softened (6 to 8 minutes). Add tomatoes and cook until thickened, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.

Purée tomato mixture through a food mill into the pasta pot. Place pot over low heat and add pesto. Add pasta and toss to combine. Top with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: The rigatoni is a good choice of pasta as it catches the sauce inside. Make sure the pine nuts are fresh as they go rancid after a couple of months. They’ll keep in the freezer for up to a year. Such a simple meal to make and packed full of flavor and vitamins!