When you don’t have hours to spend on a tomato sauce, take a little shortcut with Italian Chili Crunch. A can of crushed tomatoes and a couple spoonfuls of Italian will have your weeknight dinner coming together in under 30 minutes.
Use: Italian. The herb blend handles the seasoning, so you don’t need a cabinet of dried spices, and Italian has just enough kick to make it interesting. Cut with Spicy if you really crave the heat.
Makes 4 · 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb. dry rigatoni noodles
• 2-4 tbsp Italian Brotherly Crunch Italian
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional, for a rosa version)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Parmesan, to finish
• Salt
STEPS
1. Boil the rigatoni in well-salted water to just shy of al dente. Set aside a cup of pasta water before you drain.
2. While your pasta cooks, warm the olive oil over medium heat and add two tablespoons of Italian Brotherly Crunch, careful not to let it burn, 20-30 seconds.
3. Add crushed tomatoes, stirring well to combine with the chili crunch and simmer 10 minutes. (Stir in the cream now for rosa sauce). Season with salt to taste. Taste the sauce, add more Italian if you think it needs it.
4. Add the drained pasta to the sauce with a splash of the reserved water and stir vigorously a minute or two, pasta should be nicely coated.
5. Spoon finished pasta into serving bowls, garnishing with parmesan. Add a couple dollops of chili crunch if you want it “Ron’s Way” (that just means it always needs more crunch).