Carrabba's Cavatappi Amatriciana (Side Dish Pasta)

"This is an approximate verision of Carrabba's. This is served in the restaurant as a side dish but would be just fine as a main dish when pancetta is added in. Cavatappi pasta is a short tubed corkscrew or S-shaped pasta. It can be hard to find but I was able to find it called "Twists" by the pasta brand DaVinci (blue bag)."
 
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photo by mtngurl photo by mtngurl
photo by mtngurl
photo by mtngurl photo by mtngurl
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
10
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Cook cavatappi according to package directions; drain.
  • Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes in olive oil over medium heat till onions are soft and translucent.
  • Add white wine and cook till nearly evaporated.
  • Stir in tomatoes with their juice till slightly thickened (3-5 minutes).
  • Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired.
  • Mix into cooked cavatappi.
  • Toss with cheese.
  • Add cooked pancetta (optional).

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Reviews

  1. Thanks sooo much for posting! This was perfect. My husband always orders this with Chicken Bryan...it's his favorite meal there! So, tonight I made this with Chicken Bryan (Recipe #361631) and he was sooo happy! We both love pancetta so I added it in. I think that it's a must in this recipe. Thanks!
     
  2. Great recipe- used Parmesan/Romano blend that i had on hand. I didn't add any meat and served it along with Parmesan chicken breasts and garlic green beans. Excellent!
     
  3. Very great base recipe! If you don't have pancetta, try to substitute canadian bacon. But the meat, onions, and garlic together really pack a lot of flavor! I also live to add a little fresh chopped Italian parsley and a pinch of lemon zest for freshness!
     
  4. Absolutely Delicious! except that the 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes was just too much for the men of our house. Will definitely be doing this one again soon.
     
  5. This was delicious and my house smelled like Carrabba's! I misread the recipe and put in 1 1/2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper....OUCH! Won't do that again. It was sooooo spicy yet still delicious.
     
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Tweaks

  1. So I'm actually the Asst. Kitchen Manager at the Carrabba's in Glendale AZ. It is very sad that we got rid of thissauve because it was amazing! Let me suggest a little tip. The thing that makes this sauce is the onions and the pancetta. You can't go without it or the flavor is nowhere near what you get in the restaurant. So what you need to do is render the pancetta with the onions on low heat with unsalted butter. The onions and pancetta are cut into 1/4 inch dice. This is the part that takes the longest. You should realistically cook the onions and pancetta together for 30-45 minutes (remember on low). Storing occasionally making sure you don't burn them. The pancetta should turn dark golden brown evenly and the onions will be very caramelized . Do not drain excess fat or butter before you add in the other ingredients ( this is where the flavor is). Then add your other ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes on medium. Then before adding pasta stir in a small amount of Romano cheese. You can always add more on top of your pasta to your liking but there isn't very much cheese actually in the sauce. Hope this helps
     

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