Recipes With Pasta, Sauce, Seafood, and More

Serena Wolf’s Grilled Vegetables with Tomato Basil Sauce, Feta and Herbs Recipe

February 21, 2022

Simple and so inviting: arrange a variety of seasonal vegetables—grilled until gorgeously tender, yet still crisp—over a bed of our lively tomato basil sauce. Then cover everything with a generous...

Serena Wolf's Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

February 21, 2022

Need an easy dinner in a hurry? Turn a pound of ground beef into luscious baked meatballs, simmered in our delicious tomato marinara sauce. Serve over a tangle of our...

Gail Simmons' Tomato Braised Chicken Thighs Recipe

February 21, 2022

A simple weeknight dinner everyone can agree on. Tender braised chicken thighs simmered with olives and capers in our classic marinara sauce never disappoints. Delicious with anything from buttered pasta...

Gail Simmons' Vegetable Crostata Recipe

February 21, 2022

Made from scratch and worth every minute. This savory vegetarian crostata features a butter crust topped with homemade marinara, a handful of sweet red onions, roasted fennel, and pecorino cheese....

Gail Simmons' Spaghetti Pie with Mushrooms Recipe

February 21, 2022

Every slice of baked spaghetti is delightfully crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, loaded with melty cheese, dark green kale, and a trio of wild mushrooms. Think...

Creamy Tomato Burrata Shells Recipe

February 21, 2022

Somewhere between mac and cheese and your favorite creamy tomato soup. A splash of cream takes our tomato basil sauce to delicious new heights when tossed with pasta shells and...

Polenta with Sausage & Mushrooms Recipe

February 21, 2022

Creamy stovetop polenta is the perfect foundation for our hearty sausage and mushroom sauce. Serve up bowlfuls of this rustic, easy staple from Northern Italy anytime you need a hearty...

Clams Arrabbiata with Linguine Recipe

February 21, 2022

Better than any restaurant. Clams in red sauce gets a spicy reboot thanks to our Arrabbiata sauce, fresh Littlenecks, and swirls of our homemade linguine. Our video shows you how...

Clams Over Linguine Recipe

February 21, 2022

Classic Italian fare made simple with our tomato marinara sauce; all you have to do is bring your own clams, light a candle, and crack open a bottle of Barbaresco....

Veal Chop with A’moigue Sauce Recipe

February 20, 2022

Grilled veal chops shine when dressed in a bright and lively pan sauce that’s made with our homemade marinara, lots of garlic, and fresh oregano. Simple flavors and quality ingredients...

Linguine with Beef Ragu Recipe

February 20, 2022

An easy recipe made for Sundays and lazy weekends. A slow cooker and a jar of our luscious roasted garlic sauce turns shoulder roast into fall-apart tender beef ragu. When...

Tomato, Pea, Prosciutto and Burrata Bruschetta Recipe

February 20, 2022

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where it all started

1896

Charles Rao, who immigrated with his parents from the southern Italian town of Polla, buys a small tavern on 114th St and Pleasant Avenue in an Italian neighborhood of New York City

2019

1930

Charles’ sons, Vincent and Louis Rao take over Rao’s and manage to keep the business open through the prohibition years.

1896

1958

After Louis’ passing, Vincent Rao takes over the family business and begins transitioning the tavern into a restaurant by introducing southern Italian dishes.

1930

1974

Anna Pellegrino Rao begins working with her husband Vincent and brings an expertise in southern Italian cuisine and an elegant style to help the Rao’s restaurant gain prominence. The restaurant begins to collect a number of “regulars” from the neighborhood and beyond.

1958

1975

Frank Pellegrino Sr. begins helping his aunt and uncle at Rao’s. Over the years, Frank emerges as the leader, heart and soul of Rao’s and becomes one of the foremost restauranteurs in America. Frank’s emphasis on simple, pure, delicious ingredients vastly improves the perception, taste and healthfulness of southern Italian cuisine. Frank Sr.’s notoriety and authentic Italian presence landed him rolls in Warner Brothers’ “Goodfellas” and HBO’s “The Sopranos.”

1974

1977

Famed New York Times restaurant critic, Mimi Sheraton, gives Rao’s a glowing 3-star review stating Rao’s serves “wonderfully simple, delicious and honest Italian food, all prepared strictly alla casaligna – home style.” This turns Rao’s into one of the hottest restaurants in NYC. To remain loyal to their “regulars,” Rao’s assigns “table rights” for specific nights of the week or month. The rights were prized family possessions passed from generation to generation.

1975

1982

At just 12 years-old, Frank Pellegrino Jr. became the fourth generation of the Rao’s family to work at the restaurant. This begins a career of over 35 years working at Rao’s.

1977

1992

Tired of saying “no” to people who want reservations, Frank Pellegrino Sr. decides to package and sell Rao’s sauce, “so this way I don’t have to say ‘no’ anymore and everybody can have it at home.” Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce is born with only the best ingredients and refused to add sugar, tomato paste, water, starches, fillers or color. Characteristics that still are central to the product line today.

1982

1997

Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce Begins to expand, introducing flavors like spicy Arrabbiata and Puttanesca for people to try in their own kitchen.

1992

2005

Rao’s Homemade continues to develop traditional sauces like Tomato Basil and Sausage & Mushroom.

1997

2017

Rao’s Homemade celebrates 25 years of bringing one of the best-tasting sauces home.

2005

2018

Rao’s Homemade continues to expand their sauce flavors offering Alfredo sauce and also begins offering dry pasta.

2017

2019

Rao’s Homemade begins offering soup, bring high-quality ingredients and flavors to another part of your pantry.

2018

1896

TIMELINE