November 4, 2021

Make It At Home – Rigatoni Pasta

Let’s Take Pazzo’s Recipe For a Spin!

📝 Pazzo has closed since this article was originally published. But you can still get Chef Michael Calore’s delicious dishes at Osteria Southside. ⭐⭐

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Don’t worry, this won’t tax your brain cells. We’re only going back to the mid-2010s.

Located on Main Street, there was a place that served some of the most delicious sandwiches in town. Anytime you would walk by between the hours of 12:00pm and 1:30pm, there was usually a line. Not an intimidating line like Franklin’s BBQ in Austin, TX or Salumi in Seattle, WA, but a good sized lunch crowd.

If you need a visual clue to the place I’m talking about , here it is.

Need another hint? OK…

I’m sure that last one gave it away. Yes, Mozzarella Fella is correct! Michael and Victoria Calore were the proprietors of this “intimate” eatery located at 1668 Main Street. It wasn’t that they were just owners of a sandwich shop. They were part of the downtown community. From the moment they opened their doors, they made an attempt to personally welcome every customer (usually by name) as if they were part of their family. In today’s restaurant world, that type of hospitality is quickly disappearing.

I had my share of lunches in that small yet comfortable storefront space. Yes, sometimes I ordered the special. Some days I just couldn’t resist what was written on that chalkboard. But most times it was the #10 for me.

I’m not sure what it was about that combination of ingredients that made that sandwich so irresistible. Was it the fresh, homemade mozzarella cheese? The perfectly thin sliced Genoa salami? Or maybe the sprinkling of oregano and olive oil to top things off? It’s hard to say. I’m guessing that it’s a “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” situation here. No matter what it was, that sandwich was always delicious!

We’re lucky here in Sarasota. We have some pretty wonderful choices when it comes to grabbing a lunchtime sandwich. Main Bar downtown has its Famous Italian, Piccolo’s Italian Market over in Gulf Gate has The Godfather, and Anna’s Deli on Siesta Key has The Surfer. I’ve had them all on multiple occasions, and trust me, they are all delicious. But the #10 still reigns supreme for me.

Sadly, it seems that all (or at least most) good things must come to an end. The Calores sold Mozzarella Fella back in 2018 and the #10 was no more. It might have been the end of that great sandwich shop, but it was just the beginning of Victoria and Michael’s culinary adventures in Sarasota.

The Southside Village neighborhood, centered at Osprey Avenue and Hillview Street, was the perfect place to build on the local following that they had developed. Pazzo Southside (1936 Hillview St., (941) 260-8831 was born. The name is now trimmed to just Pazzo. And it is WAY more than just a little sandwich shop. At the new location, they have developed a menu of both traditional and innovative Italian comfort food. If you haven’t had the Meatball Salad, you’re really missing something.

We thought that maybe you might want to try your hand at one of their dishes in your kitchen. They have graciously given us the recipe for their rigatoni to try and Make it at Home!

Yes, we’ve made another “movie” for you. It’s more of a short than an actual movie really. Let’s take a quick look at how to make their rigatoni.

OK, you’ve seen the film. Now let’s get cracking in the kitchen.

Here’s the ingredient list for you.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup prosciutto, diced

4 cloves garlic, smashed

¼ cup onions, diced

1 ball fresh mozzarella, diced

½ cup mushrooms sliced thin

¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated

2 handfuls of baby arugula

4 tsp. olive oil

1 lb. Rigatoni

¼ cup white wine

Salt and pepper to taste

That’s a pretty simple list, right? No cream, no tomatoes, or even tomato paste. A little bit of white wine. That’s about it for the liquids.

Here’s how to put it together.

METHOD

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rigatoni to boiling water. Cook to your desired doneness.

While the pasta is boiling, in a sauté pan on medium heat, add olive oil, smashed garlic, and onion. Sauté until onion is clear. Add diced prosciutto and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with white wine. Drain pasta and add to sauté pan, tossing all ingredients together. Add grated cheese, mozzarella, salt, pepper, and baby arugula, toss and serve.

Serves 3-4

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINT VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

Let’s take a look at how mine turned out when I whipped it up in my home kitchen.

Now comes the test. Here’s what you’ll get if you order it at Pazzo’s.

That is not a bad attempt on my part!

Here are some tasting, cooking, and plating notes for you.

• I nailed the overall taste!
• Pazzo’s had a little more “Italian” flavor to it. Does that make any sense? I’m not sure how else to explain it.
• Their version had a lot more arugula. It looks like they also added it at the very, very end. Mine may have sat a little too long in the pan and got a little “wilty” before I plated it.
• The prosciutto. It seems like they used a thick-cut slab and diced it super small. I used the thin slices that you can buy pre-cut and pre-packed in the deli. Next time I’ll ask the deli counter for a hunk.
• I got the post-cooking parmesan sprinkle just right. Do it when it’s on the plate!

THE VERDICT. CAN YOU MAKE THIS SUCCESSFULLY AT HOME? YES!!

A note (and a request) – If you own, or are a chef at, a Sarasota restaurant and would like to have your recipe featured in a future edition of Make it at Home, please get in touch with us through our Facebook page or our dineSarasota.com website. We want to cook your dish!!

Here are a few links that you might find of interest…

Franklin BBQ

Salumi – Seattle

Main Bar Sandwich Shop

Piccolo Italian Market & Deli

Anna’s Deli

Rigatoni, Pasta with Ridges. -The Pasta Project

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