Hosting dinner for friends or family? We’ve got you covered with the help of our friends at Colavita. For our take on a classic Italian meal, you’ll whip up a burrata and prosciutto charcuterie board for the antipasti (starter), rigatoni in a creamy red sauce for the primi, Tuscan-spiced beef meatballs and crispy chicken parmesan for the secondi, then a Caesar salad for the contorni (sides). In our opinion, no meal is complete without something dolce (sweet), so we sent decadent mini chocolate bundt cakes (bonus points for warming them up!). Feeling extra-Italiano? Pair this meal with an Italian wine or two (pro tip: start with white or sparkling, then round out the meal with a red). Best of all: We mapped out every step, so you’re sure to impress with none of the stress. Can you say mangia?
Download recipe card for complete nutrition information.
The quantities provided above are averages only.
Produced in a facility that processes eggs, milk, fish, peanuts, sesame, shellfish, soy, tree nuts, and wheat.
2 unit
Demi-Baguette
(Contains Soy, Wheat)
1 unit
Garlic Oil
2 g
Truffle Seasoning
1 unit
Pear
6 ounce
Grand Cru Cheese
(Contains Milk)
1 unit
Fig Jam
5 teaspoon
Balsamic Glaze
4 ounce
Burrata
(Contains Milk)
2 ounce
Prosciutto
12 ounce
Rigatoni Pasta
(Contains Wheat)
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon
Chili Flakes
2 unit
Tomato Paste
1 cup
Cream Cheese
(Contains Milk)
2 unit
Chicken Stock Concentrate
1.5 cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains Wheat)
20 ounce
Ground Beef
1 tablespoon
Tuscan Heat Spice
2 teaspoon
Garlic Powder
28 ounce
Marinara Sauce
20 ounce
Chicken Cutlets
¼ ounce
Parsley
4 ounce
Fresh Mozzarella
(Contains Milk)
6 tablespoon
Sour Cream
(Contains Milk)
1 unit
Caesar Chop Salad Kit
(Contains Eggs, Milk, Fish, Wheat)
6 unit
Chocolate Bundt Cake
(Contains Eggs, Milk, Wheat)
Salt
Pepper
4 teaspoon
Olive Oil
1 teaspoon
Cooking Oil
2 tablespoon
Butter
(Contains Milk)
THE 2-HOUR DINNER GAME PLAN
START CHARCUTERIE BOARD • Adjust racks to top and middle positions and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry produce. • Slice each baguette crosswise into eight rounds. In a small bowl, combine Colavita garlicolio and truffle seasoning to taste. • Spread baguette slices out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Brush tops with some garlic truffle oil (reserve remaining oil for the next step). Toast on top rack until golden brown, 5-10 minutes.
FINISH CHARCUTERIE BOARD • Meanwhile, halve, core, and thinly slice pear. • Thinly slice half the Grand Cru cheese (save the rest for grating). • Place burrata in a small serving bowl. Drizzle with remaining garlic truffle oil. • In a separate small serving bowl, combine Colavita fig jam with half the Colavita balsamic glaze (save the rest for serving). • Fan crostini out on one corner of a large board or platter (wipe off baking sheet and reserve for next step). Fan out sliced Grand Cru and pear slices on opposite corners. Place bowl with seasoned burrata and bowl with fig balsamic sauce near center of board. Fill remaining gaps with prosciutto. • Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. TIP: Remove board from refrigerator 30 minutes before guests arrive.
PREP & COOK MEATBALLS • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. • In a large bowl, soak ½ cup panko with ¼ cup water; let sit until absorbed. • Add beef, Tuscan Heat Spice, 1 tsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp salt; mix until evenly combined. Form beef mixture into six 3-inch balls. • Place meatballs on baking sheet used for crostini. Bake on middle rack until browned and cooked through, 20-22 minutes. Remove sheet from oven. (You’ll finish the meatballs in Step 8.)
COOK RIGATONI • Once water is boiling, add Colavita rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside. (Keep empty pot handy for the next step.)
MAKE SAUCE • Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in pot used for rigatoni over medium-low heat. Add Italian Seasoning and ¼ tsp chili flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds. • Add Colavita tomato paste and stock concentrates. Stir to combine. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste has darkened slightly, 30-60 seconds. • Add cream cheese and reserved pasta cooking water. Cook, stirring, until cream cheese is fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. • Bring sauce to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cover, stirring occasionally, until ready to use in Step 9.
PREP CHICKEN PARM • Pat chicken dry with paper towels; place between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a mallet or rolling pin until chicken is about ½ inch thick. TIP: If your cutlets are already ½ inch thick, skip pounding. • Pick parsley leaves from stems; finely chop leaves. Thinly slice mozzarella. • In a shallow dish, combine half the parsley, 1 cup panko, a large drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. • In a second large bowl, combine sour cream, 1 TBSP water, 1 tsp garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
COAT & FRY CHICKEN • Place chicken in bowl with sour cream mixture; turn to evenly coat. Working one piece at a time, press chicken into panko mixture to fully coat. • Heat a ⅓-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. • Once oil is hot enough that a pinch of panko mixture sizzles, add chicken to pan. (You may need to cook in batches.) Cook until panko is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. TIP: Reduce heat if chicken begins to brown too quickly. • Transfer chicken to a second lightly oiled baking sheet. Lightly season with salt.
FINISH MEATBALLS & CHICKEN PARM • Once meatballs and chicken are done, carefully drain off any excess fat from baking sheet with meatballs. Top meatballs with one container of marinara sauce. • Spread 2 TBSP remaining marinara sauce (be sure to measure—we sent more!) over each piece of coated chicken. Top evenly with mozzarella slices. • Bake meatballs on middle rack and chicken on top rack until warmed through and cheese melts, 8-10 minutes.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°. Ground Beef is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 160°.
FINISH RIGATONI ROSA • Increase heat under pot with sauce to medium low. Add drained rigatoni and 2 TBSP butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly and pasta is evenly coated, 2-3 minutes. TIP: If sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of water. • Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
TOSS SALAD • Empty contents of salad kit into a medium serving bowl. Drizzle with as much dressing as you like; toss to evenly coat.
SERVE • Grate remaining Grand Cru into a medium serving bowl (guests can choose how much they’d like on their plates!). • Transfer chicken parm to a large serving platter. Garnish with remaining parsley. • Transfer saucy meatballs to a large serving platter. • Transfer rigatoni rosa to a large serving bowl, with remaining chili flakes on the side. • Serve everything family style.
MAKE DESSERT • Remove plastic wrap from trays; reheat Bundt cakes according to package instructions. • Let cakes cool 1-2 minutes, then turn out onto plates and serve. TIP: Make a pot of coffee before you start preparing the cakes.