| Rigatoni con la pajata | |
| Country: | Italy |
| Region: | Lazio |
| Course: | Primo (Italian pasta course) |
| Main Ingredient: | Veal intestine with chyme, rigatoni |
Rigatoni con la pajata (Romanesco dialect; standard Italian: rigatoni con la pagliata, pronounced as /it/[1]) is a classic pasta dish of Roman cuisine. It can be found in some traditional trattorias in Rome.
Pajata is the term for the small intestine and its contents of an unweaned calf, i.e., fed only on its mother's milk. The intestines are cleaned and skinned, but the chyme is left inside. The intestine is cut into pieces 20–25 cm long, which are bound together with white thread, forming rings. When cooked, the combination of heat and the enzyme rennet in the intestines coagulates the chyme and creates a sort of thick, creamy, cheese-like sauce. These rings can be served simply seasoned and grilled (pajata arrosto) or in the traditional Roman dish in which pajata is stewed in a typical tomato sauce and served with rigatoni.[2]