Shepherd’s Rigatoni

Name: Shepherd’s Rigatoni
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients: 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (without fennel seeds), removed from casings; 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste; 1 pound rigatoni; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta, drained (about 1 pound); 1/4 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for the table; 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, shredded; A large pot for cooking the pasta; a heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

December 9, 2011

As the name of this traditional dish suggests, it is made from the few ingredients available to a shepherd in remote pastures. Yet, in my experience, some of the best pasta sauces in Italy come from such a limited larder of ingredients. A fine example is this dressing for rigatoni, created with a bit of sausage, dried grating cheese, fresh ricotta, peperoncino, and fresh basil. And if you toss in other fresh herbs in season, your rigatoni alla pastora will have a slightly different taste each time.

Recipe notes

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