In the Kitchen with FOX 21 Meteorologist Gino Recchia

Cooking Connection: Italian Sausage Rigatoni in a Red Wine Tomato Sauce

DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Cooking Connection the FOX 21 morning crew welcomed Chief Meteorologist Gino Recchia to the kitchen.

Gino grew up around good food as his father owns a prominent restaurant in Chicago near Wrigley Field, Calo Ristorante.

For the segment, Gino whipped up an easy, yet flavorful, rigatoni dish.

Italian Sausage Rigatoni in a Red Wine Tomato Sauce

• Ingredients:
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 small white onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • Several small peppers, or one large red pepper
  • 3 Italian sausage, mild or spicy
  • Handful rosemary
  • Red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Red cooking wine
  • Sliced mushrooms
  • Crushed tomatoes
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Parsley

• Directions:
  • Add chopped white onion, garlic, and small peppers to pot and sear until they begin to soften
  • Split the case from the Italian sausage and break it into chunks as you add it into the pot
  • Add a couple springs of rosemary after the sausage
  • Add red pepper flakes (OPTIONAL)
  • Add red cooking wine, reduce
  • Add mushrooms and can of crushed tomatoes
  • Let simmer for a couple minutes
  • Add cooked rigatoni
  • Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley