Simple Baked Rigatoni Recipes

SIMPLE BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, and red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 15 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Add rigatoni; cook until just al dente. Drain; rinse under cold water. Stir together ricotta and half of mozzarella in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce on bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half of rigatoni; spread into an even layer. Top with 1 cup sauce and the ricotta mixture, spreading with a rubber spatula to cover. Top with remaining rigatoni and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top to cover. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese has melted, 35 to 40 minutes.

BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, sauce, paste, water, mushrooms, parsley, garlic and seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. , Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with butter. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Stir into rigatoni mixture. Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish; top with tomato mixture., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sugar. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add rigatoni, and cook, stirring occasionally, 9 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse under cool water until cool. Set aside.
• In a medium nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta with half of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
• To assemble, spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half of the rigatoni in an even layer. Spread with 1/2 cup sauce, ricotta mixture, sausage, and 1 cup more sauce. Top with remaining rigatoni, and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Any remaining sauce may be reheated and served on the side or reserved for another use. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top to cover. Place baking dish on a baking sheet, and transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the topping: Add the ricotta, basil, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season well with salt and cook the rigatoni for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage to the pan. Cook, stirring often and breaking apart the meat with the back of a spoon, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook to marry the flavors, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well to coat. Add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly.
• Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the top. Nestle the ricotta mixture into the pasta and cover with some of the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

CHEESY RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and salt until smooth; gradually whisk in milk and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat., Add eggs to pasta, tossing to coat. Divide mixture between two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Layer each dish with one can tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and half of the white sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 30-35 minutes. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Cover casserole with foil; bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, 7-10 minutes.

BAKED RIGATONI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sausage; stir to break up lumps and cook until lightly browned and crumbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
• Add undrained tomatoes, water, basil, oregano, and parsley to the pan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 25 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water, and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Uncover the sauce and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add 2/3 of the sauce to the pasta; toss to combine. Stir in mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish, pour remaining sauce over top, and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer.