Recipes With Pasta, Sauce, Seafood, and More

Arrabbiata Mussels with Chorizo

Remove the mussels from their shells directly into the broth to create a flavour-enhanced soup base or sauce! They can also be served cold as an aperitif, placed on a...

Fish Soup

If you wish, substitute diced potatoes for the white beans. Adjust the quantity of broth according to your preferences to obtain a more or less consistent soup. Make: 4 to...

Italian Stuffed Pizza Bombs

The bombs are kept ideally in the freezer before cooking. Then simply put them in the oven to cook them. Just fold the filled dough circle into a half-moon shape,...

Three-Cheese Meatballs

For easy, splatter-free cooking, bake the meatballs at 375°F on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 15 to 20 minutes. This recipe lends itself wonderfully to freezing. To...

Mushroom and Mozzarella Puff Pastry Appetizer

Chilling the filling before placing it on the dough ensures a flaky and crispy texture. To ensure optimal puff pastry baking, increase the oven temperature to 20 degrees above the...

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pesto Gnocchi

To reduce the bitterness of rapini, add a little sugar or honey to the cooking water to slightly sweeten its taste. If you prefer, the sausage can be replaced with...

Mafaldine with Bolognese Sauce

This Bolognese sauce also turns out exquisite in homemade lasagna! Make it in large batches and freeze it for easy meals on busy weekdays. Make: 4 to 6 servingsPreparation: 15...

Swordfish in Vodka Sauce

Fresh swordfish steaks need minimal treatment, only a few minutes on the grill, and a jar of our creamy, tomato-based vodka sauce for serving. Perfect with mashed potatoes or braised...

Serena Wolf's Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs

Need a leisurely 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...

Eggplant Parmigiana

No frying is required with this effortless twist on the classic. Hand-rolled eggplant slices are stuffed with ricotta cheese and basil and then covered in homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella...

Kale, Red Onion and Bacon Pizza

Easy sheet pan pizza starts with our premium Margherita sauce. Then we pile on dark leafy greens, crispy bacon, and sweet red onion. Bake until the cheese bubbles and turns...

Margherita Flatbread Pizza

Take the classic Margherita Flatbread Pizza to a whole new level. Making your homemade pizza can't get any better than this. You have natural, fresh and tasty ingredients. This is...

Oops...

Slider with alias raos-timeline not found.

Oops...

Slider with alias timeline-slider1 not found.

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

Busy Philipps’ Stuffed Shells Recipe

Busy Philipps' signature stuffed shells recipe

VIEW RECIPE

Bon Appétit’s Masala Arrabbiata Pasta with Rao’s Homemade Arrabbiata Sauce and Rao’s Homemade Penn

Arrabbiata or “angry” sauce is a spicy, yet balanced sauce made with slow-simmered Italian tomatoes and crushed red pepper.

VIEW RECIPE

Bon Appétit’s Vietnamese Salted Squid with Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce

Made with the Rao's Classic Homemade Marinara Sauce

VIEW RECIPE

Item added to your cart

Translation missing: en.customer.login.title

Recipes With Pasta, Sauce, Seafood, and More

Arrabbiata Mussels with Chorizo

Fish Soup

Italian Stuffed Pizza Bombs

Three-Cheese Meatballs

Mushroom and Mozzarella Puff Pastry Appetizer

Italian Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Pesto Gnocchi

Mafaldine with Bolognese Sauce

Swordfish in Vodka Sauce

Serena Wolf's Weeknight Spaghetti and Meatballs

Eggplant Parmigiana

Kale, Red Onion and Bacon Pizza

Margherita Flatbread Pizza

Language