The Red Sauce Scientist

Dom Capelli

Dom sits at the intersection of 'Nona' and 'Science.' He takes Italian-American classics and Diner staples (Meatloaf, Grilled Cheese) and elevates them with better technique to fix the mistakes of the past while keeping the soul intact.

Italian-AmericanAmerican

Voice · Warm, hearty, inviting, family-oriented.

Signature Dishes

The essential curation of Dom's favorites.

45 MIN

Butternut Squash & Mozzarella Crostini with Smoked Paprika Drizzle

Golden toasted crostini loaded with caramelized roasted butternut squash and creamy fresh mozzarella, finished with a smoky paprika oil drizzle and fresh basil. A warm, inviting appetizer that brings together fall flavors with Italian-American soul.

40 MIN

Dom's Savory Pinto Bean Bruschetta with Pancetta and Garlic

A hearty Italian-American appetizer featuring creamy pinto beans simmered in rich tomato sauce, topped with crispy pancetta and served on garlic-rubbed toasted bread. Warm, family-style comfort food at its finest.

35 MIN

Pinto Bean and Bacon Bruschetta

Crispy bacon and hearty pinto beans simmered in a rich tomato sauce, piled high on golden bruschetta and finished with melted mozzarella and fresh basil.

35 MIN

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Garlic Parmesan Butter

Succulent sea scallops wrapped in crispy bacon and finished with a rich garlic Parmesan butter sauce. A restaurant-quality dish that comes together in under an hour.

60 MIN

Dom's Rustic Buckbuckwheat Apple Crumble with Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

A hearty, wholesome crumble featuring tender spiced apples beneath a crunchy buckwheat-enriched topping. The nuttiness of buckwheat pairs beautifully with sweet-tart apples and warm cinnamon, finished with a buttery, golden crown.

50 MIN

Dom's Skillet Cornmeal Blueberry Cake with Brown Butter Drizzle

A golden, rustic skillet cake studded with plump blueberries and topped with a nutty brown butter drizzle — the kind of thing that makes Sunday feel like Sunday.

45 MIN

Dom's Ricotta-Filled Zeppole with Honey and Pistachios

These pillowy fried dough pockets are stuffed with sweet vanilla-infused ricotta and finished with a drizzle of honey and crunchy pistachios. A little effort yields big rewards — crispy outside, creamy inside, and pure comfort in every bite.

30 MIN

Classic American Beef and Cheeseburger with Garlic Aioli

A hearty American classic featuring juicy beef patties melted with cheddar, topped with crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, and finished with a garlicky homemade aioli spread on toasted buns.

50 MIN

Red Sauce Chicken Parmesan Skillet

A hearty one-pan chicken dinner with golden breaded cutlets smothered in rich tomato sauce and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. It's the kind of dish that brings everybody to the table.

50 MIN

Hearty Ground Beef and Bean Chili

A comforting, thick chili loaded with savory ground beef and hearty beans, simmered with warm spices. Perfect for game day or a cozy family dinner.

45 MIN

Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Beef and Mozzarella

Tender zucchini halves stuffed with a savory ground beef and tomato sauce filling, topped with bubbly melted mozzarella and finished with fresh basil. A hearty, comforting dish that brings the family together.

170 MIN

Pork Belly Braised in Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil

Tender chunks of pork belly slow-braised in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce and finished with fresh basil. The kind of dish that fills your kitchen with warmth and makes everyone gather around the table.

50 MIN

Italian-American Sausage and Peppers Over Pasta

Dom Capelli's take on the classic Italian-American comfort dish — smoky browned sausage links nestled in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce with sweet roasted peppers, all tossed with hearty spaghetti and finished with fresh basil and a generous snowfall of Parmesan.

70 MIN

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatloaf with Red Sauce

A hearty meatloaf stuffed with gooey mozzarella and draped in rich tomato sauce. Dom's Sunday dinner hero.

45 MIN

Hearty Tomato Basil Meatball Subs

Dom Capelli's signature meatball subs loaded with a rich tomato-basil sauce and melted mozzarella and Parmesan. Pure Sunday dinner vibes.

45 MIN

Cheesy Garlic Bread Skillet

Dom Capelli's take on the ultimate comfort side — torn chunks of bread bathing in rich garlic butter, loaded with melted mozzarella and parmesan, then baked until golden and bubbling in a cast iron skillet.

60 MIN

Garlicky Beef and Pepper Bake

A hearty, family-style bake featuring seasoned ground beef and colorful bell peppers smothered in a rich garlicky tomato sauce and topped with bubbling melted cheese.

70 MIN

Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan Boats

Tender eggplant halves filled with a savory mixture of ground beef, ricotta, and mozzarella, topped with rich tomato sauce and bubbling cheese. Dom Capelli's take on the classic delivers all the soul of Sunday dinner with none of the deconstruction.

60 MIN

Baked Penne with Three-Cheese Tomato Sauce

A hearty, comforting baked pasta where penne is smothered in a rich three-cheese tomato sauce and baked until golden and bubbling. This is the kind of dish that brings everybody to the table.

50 MIN

Nona's Sunday Meatloaf with Tomato Basil Glaze

A hearty, family-style meatloaf that's been elevated with a glossy tomato basil glaze. Dom's way — sloppy-joe-style comfort with Nonna's soul.

35 MIN

Chicken Piccata with Lemon and Capers

Chicken breast pounded thin and seared until golden, then pulled from the pan so the garlic and butter can meld with the capers and a generous squeeze of lemon into a sauce that is bright, briny, and just rich enough. Fresh parsley finishes it, green against all that gold. One of the few Italian-American dishes that's supposed to be light — and here it actually is.

60 MIN

Stuffed Shells with Spinach and Ricotta

Pasta shells packed with creamy ricotta and wilted spinach, nestled into a garlicky tomato sauce and blanketed under mozzarella that melts into a golden, lacy crust. Every shell is a little package — pull one out and it comes with sauce clinging to the outside and a cloud of filling inside. The kind of baked pasta that makes people quiet at the table because they're too busy eating.

20 MIN

Caprese Salad with Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil

Ripe tomatoes and fresh mozzarella layered in alternating slices, with whole basil leaves tucked between them and a splash of red wine vinegar sharpening the olive oil that pools underneath. A few cracks of black pepper are all the fussing it needs. Proof that restraint — when the ingredients are right — is its own kind of generosity.

45 MIN

Sausage and Peppers Skillet with Onions

Sausages browned in one pan with sweet bell peppers and yellow onion going in after — everything cooking together in garlicky olive oil until soft and fragrant with oregano. The onions turn jammy and the peppers get a little color on their edges, and the whole skillet smells like a street fair in the best possible way. Serve it straight from the pan — that is the whole point.

35 MIN

Veal Saltimbocca with Ham and Garlic Butter

Thin veal layered with salty ham and seared quickly in olive oil until golden, then finished in a garlic butter that foams and turns nutty in the pan. Fresh parsley added at the last moment keeps the richness in check. Fast, elegant without being fussy, and the kind of dish that disappears from the plate before you've even sat down properly.

55 MIN

Mussels Marinara with Crusty White Bread

Mussels steam open in a fragrant, garlicky tomato sauce kissed with fresh basil and finished with a glug of good olive oil — the broth alone is worth the trip. White bread is not a side dish here, it is the whole point: tear, dip, and don't stop until the bowl is clean. Fast enough for a Tuesday, generous enough to feel like a feast.

40 MIN

Shrimp Fra Diavolo over Spaghetti

Plump shrimp cooked fast in a tomato sauce that bites back — garlic and cayenne doing the heavy lifting while the heat stays exciting rather than punishing. Fresh parsley goes on at the end to cool things down just enough before the whole mess lands on a nest of spaghetti. Bold, brothy, and deeply satisfying without a drop of cream in sight.

45 MIN

Spaghetti alle Vongole with Clams and Garlic Oil

Clams coaxed open in olive oil with a generous amount of sliced garlic, their briny liquor releasing into the pan and becoming the sauce itself — bright, oceanic, and honest. A squeeze of lemon and torn parsley go in at the end, and the whole thing gets tossed with spaghetti so every strand carries the flavor. No cream, no shortcuts, just clams doing exactly what clams are supposed to do.

50 MIN

Cheesy Beef and Ricotta Pasta Bake

Penne baked with seasoned ground beef, pillowy pockets of ricotta, and enough mozzarella to make the top layer pull apart in satisfying strings. Fresh basil gets stirred into the tomato sauce before it all goes into the oven, keeping the sweetness of the dish honest. This is weeknight comfort food that refuses to be small about itself.

70 MIN

Hunter's Chicken Cacciatore with Mushrooms and Peppers

Chicken thighs braised low and slow in tomato sauce with mushrooms, bell peppers, garlic, and a good hit of oregano until the meat nearly falls from the bone and the sauce reduces into something thick and deeply savory. This is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with a smell that pulls people in from the other room. Rustic, generous, and built for sharing.

From the Pantry

Signature staples

tomato-saucemozzarellaolive-oilgarlicbasilground-beef

Favorite tools

DutchOvenWoodenSpoonGraterOven

Reaches for

San Marzano TomatoesPancettaGround Beef/Pork blend

Steers clear of

MargarineJarred Parmesan

Flavor Profile

The Loves

TomatoCheesyGarlicky

The Defaults

ParmesanBasil

The Avoids

Deconstructed foodSmall portions