Rigatoni Amatriciana

Serves

Scaled from the card's 4-serving amounts and rounded to measurable quantities.

Ingredients

The figure beside each ingredient is its energy for the amount shown, and the bar is its share of the dish — so it is easy to see which one or two are actually carrying the calories if you fancy a substitution.

Raw ingredient energy · 1 serving

Raw weights on purpose: cooking changes what a dish weighs — rice absorbs water, meat renders fat — which moves energy per 100g without changing what you ate. Costing the ingredients you were given is the stable number, and it scales with the serving size above.

Method

1. Boil your kettle. Rinse and trim the baby beetroots (Chef Lapo keeps the root intact). Place into a pot (large enough for the rigatoni) and submerge with water. Bring to the boil and boil the baby beetroots until cooked through, about 6-9 minutes. Drain on completion and set aside. Fill the pot with salted boiling water and bring back to the boil for the rigatoni.

2. To a saucepan (large enough for the sauce) over a medium heat, add the sunflower seeds. Dry toast for 3-5 minutes until golden. Remove from the saucepan on completion.

3. In the meantime, finely slice your onions and cut the pancetta into strips. When the salted water is boiling, add your rigatoni and let it cook for 15-18 minutes until al dente.

4. Return the saucepan to a medium heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, add the pancetta and cook for about 3-4 minutes until golden. Add the sliced onion and whole thyme stalks. Stir through and cook until the onion has softened for about 2-4 minutes. Add the red wine and let it reduce until almost evaporated, about 2-4 minutes. Lastly, add the cooked chopped tomatoes and tomato passata and 200ml water. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer until reduced and full of flavour for about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove the thyme stalks, taste to test, and season.

5. Drain the rigatoni on completion. Toss through some olive oil, then add back to the pot and stir through the sauce. Add your grated Parmesan and grated pecorino (packaged together), leaving some for garnish.

6. Just before serving, slice your beetroots in half lengthways. Rinse the mixed leaves. To a bowl, add 50ml of olive oil, 15ml of balsamic vinegar, and some seasoning and whisk together. Toss your beetroots, leaves, and sunflower seeds through the dressing.

7. Enjoy your comforting pasta alongside your fresh beetroot salad. Nice one, Chef!

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