Description
A delicious baked rigatoni recipe with sausage, ricotta, and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1–1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Move the rack to the top level in the oven.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the rigatoni. Cook the rigatoni for 8-9 minutes or 3-4 minutes less than the directions on the package. When the noodles are done, drain them and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the sausage to the pan (be sure to remove the outer casing first) and break the links up into small pieces (like hamburger) with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cook over medium-low heat for 7-10 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
- Add more oil to the pot if needed, then stir in the onions to the same pot that you cooked the sausage in and sauté over low heat for about 5 minutes or until golden and turning soft. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the seasoning.
- Return the sausage back to the pot (juice and all) and stir. Add in the tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Stir in the sugar.
- Simmer the sauce for about 15-20 minutes.
- Add 1-1/2 cups of the cooked pasta to the meat sauce and stir. Add more pasta as you like.
- Spoon half of the pasta and meat sauce into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Dollop the top with ricotta cheese. Spoon the rest of the pasta and meat sauce over the top of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top and then sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese over the top of the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake uncovered in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until it starts to bubble. Then broil for 3-5 minutes or until the top starts to turn golden brown. Keep a close eye on it when it’s under the broiler to prevent it from burning.
- Garnish with finely chopped parsley.
Notes
- This recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking.
- You can substitute the sausage with ground turkey for a lighter version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 80mg