We love the flavor of barbecue sauce. Here we’ve added the sauce to the pasta instead of the other way around. The pasta is simply tossed with butter, ready to be paired with sautéed jumbo shrimp, breaded pork chops, or sausage and peppers. These rigatoni could also be stuffed with raw shrimp sausage and then gently simmered in a blend of barbecue sauce, butter, and white wine to cook the pasta and the shrimp.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as an entrée

　　6 1/2 cups/1,462.5 grams water

　　One 17.6-ounce/500-gram jar barbecue sauce

　　1 pound/453 grams dried rigatoni

　　6 tablespoons/84 grams unsalted butter

　　

Step 1

Stir together the water and the barbecue sauce. Submerge the rigatoni in the barbecue water and refrigerate for 4 hours. Drain the pasta from the liquid, reserving the barbecue water, and store the hydrated rigatoni in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator.

　　

Step 2

In a large pot, combine the reserved barbecue water and enough clean water to equal roughly 4 quarts (4 liters). Bring to a boil over high heat, then add the soaked rigatoni. It will cook in less than 3 minutes. Taste for texture. When cooked to your satisfaction, drain the pasta and toss with the butter. Serve immediately.

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