Oretta Zanini De Vita writes in her Encyclopedia of Pasta (2009) that rigatoni goes by a host of names throughout Italy: bombardoni; cannaroni; cannerozzi rigati; ciofelloni;
gnocconi; maniche; rigatoni romani; rigatoncini; scaffittuni; scorzasellari (“celery
peelers”); trivelli; and tufoloni rigati. The shape’s defining
features are its tubular form and its ridges. Rigatoni’s name comes from the Italian word rigato meaning lined, striped or ruled. The shape’s ridges allow it
to hold sauce better than smooth tubular shapes such as paccheri or ziti.
If dimensions interest you, The Geometry of Pasta (2010) by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy gives
rigatoni’s specs: length 1.8 inches;
width 0.6 inches; and wall thickness 1mm. (Note: Emiliomiti sells a range of rigatoni dies. In addition to my No. 98,
I own a No. 116 die that makes a 23mm rigatoni.) My No. 98 rigatoni die creates pasta that measures up pretty close to The Geometry of Pasta’s numbers—a tad
smaller in width, but damn close on wall thickness. When using my torchio to make rigatoni with a No. 98 die, I cut after every half revolution of
the torchio’s handle. This delivers
two rigatoni just under 1.8 inches in
length.
Most factory rigatoni
consists of semolina flour and water, but I make rigatoni with an egg dough. To serve 2, I use 135 grams of Type 00
flour from Central Milling and about 69 to 72 grams of an egg mixture made with
a whole egg and an egg yolk. I say “about” because I play around with the
amount of liquid depending on how dry I want the dough. Less liquid produces a sandy
mixture closer to what one uses to make a commercial extruded semolina and
water dough. A hand-cranked torchio needs
a dough with a higher percentage of moisture than a typical factory-extruded
dough. Without this extra liquid, the torchio
becomes really hard to turn by hand
and the dough extrudes unevenly from the die (even after a hydration period). I
aim for a dough that gives the finished pasta a rough, bronze die-finish, but
that evenly extrudes without an excessive amount of force.
So after making rigatoni
with a No. 98 bronze die, how do you dress it? A handful of sauces
traditionally pair with rigatoni. If
you’re a staunch traditionalist from Rome, consider making Rigatoni con la pajata (Rigatoni
with veal intestines). Popes,
Peasants, and Shepherds: Recipes and Lore from Rome and Lazio (2013) by
Oretta Zanini De Vita and La Pasta
(2010) published by Slow Food Editore both have a recipe for this classic Roman
dish. Zanini De Vita writes that pajata
“is the Roman name for the first section of the intestine of the milk-fed calf,
used with its chyme. Today it is difficult to find, and lamb intestine is used
instead of calf. Its flavor, however, is much stronger.” If finding pajata is difficult to find in Lazio,
good luck finding it here in United States (if available at all).
Many other sauces traditionally compliment
rigatoni. For pork lovers, try Rigatoni alla gricia made with guanciale (cured pork jowl) and pecorino
cheese. Add tomatoes and onions to this sauce and you have a version of Rigatoni all’Amatriciana. Rigatoni alla carbonara is another delicious classic (again, made with guanciale or pancetta). Rigatoni
can pretty much handle any hearty sauce that meets your fancy.
