My hubs used to be the SWAT commander for our local police department & somehow this pasta became known as “SWAT RAGS. One of his officers taught me how to make this when the hubs and I first started dating. He was friends with a local restauranteur and this was a secret dish he made for his friends. I used to make huge pans of this stuff in my tiny apartment kitchen for SWAT team get togethers & special events. When we got married in a friend’s backyard, you better believe this dish was served. Later, we started adding grilled chicken and that was a hit, too. This dish has been a staple at the many large parties we have thrown over the years. A party is not a party without SWAT Rags. Awwww…the memories!
Notes
I used to serve this for huge parties. Here is a great rule of thumb: For every box of pasta, you will need 2 more bunches of green onion, 1 additional jalapeño and 2 more garlic cloves. You will also increase the pepper, Italian seasoning and lemon accordingly. For parties, you can make the pasta the day before or the morning of. It’s a very forgiving dish. We then serve it in a giant pot or a roaster.
Ingredients
- 2 (1 lb) boxes of rigatoni pasta
- 1 (2 sticks) cup butter
- 24 ounces of sliced mushrooms
- 4 bunches of green onions, chopped
- 2 jalapeños, seeds removed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 TBS Italian herb seasoning
- 1 TBS fresh ground pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Italian parsley and grated Parmesan Cheese, for garnish
- Optional: Add sliced grilled chicken.
Instructions
- Prepare the rigatoni according to package directions. Do not over cook. I usually subtract 1 from the recommended time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, drain and set aside.
- While pasta is cooking prepared your chopped veg. I use a food processor to chop the jalapeño & garlic. I remove the jalapeño & garlic, and then I chop the green onion in the food processor. Saves time and we like the texture.
- Return the pot to the stove and heat to medium. Add butter. Once melted and bubbling a bit, add the jalapeño & garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add in the green onion and seasonings. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the sliced mushroom and lemon juice. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
- Return the pasta to the pot of vegetables. Stir to coat the pasta.
- Serve topped with chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese.
- Add grilled chicken, if desired.
What a beautiful story. We are making this as a tribute to Michelle. Thank you for being part of our food journey.