Travel season is upon us. Kevin and I have started packing for an upcoming trip earlier this week. I’m taking a break from packing to share my recipe for baked rigatoni. Pasta is one of my favorite go-to weekly meals mainly because of how economical, satisfying, and quick it is to make. My baked rigatoni is another variation on my baked penne and baked cavatappi. I like to whip up a large serving of baked pasta when I want a tasty meal to feed a crowd. Today’s version of my baked pasta features rigatoni pasta, browned sausage, and fresh spinach. I always start by making a base sauce using canned whole tomatoes (gently crushed using my hands), tomato paste, and dried herbs. To elevate the flavors of my baked pasta, I added a large handful of chopped fresh parsley. While the sauce is cooking away on my stove top, I bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water begins to boil, I add some kosher salt, pour in a box of dried rigatoni, and let the pasta cook for a couple minutes short of al dente. Then, I toss the undercooked pasta in the sauce, layer on cheese, meats, and greens, and finish the rest of the dish in the oven. The baked pasta never disappoints. Once baked, I would gently remove the dish from the oven and serve the pasta while it is still hot. I like making my own version of baked pasta because I like to control the amount of cheese I add to the dish. A lot of the baked pastas I’ve had at restaurants are usually very heavy on the cheese. My baked rigatoni only uses 2-3 ounces of mozzarella cheese and about an ounce or two of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The rest of the savory flavor comes from the meats, herbs, and greens. No matter how much pasta I eat, I still crave pasta at least once a week. Once a month, I make a variation of my baked pasta to satisfy my cravings for baked pasta. The best part about the pasta is how good it tastes the next day. I tend to make a large batch and pack 2-4 servings for lunch and/or dinner the next day. For me, it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, baked pasta is still my go-to pasta dish when I want a tasty, savory, and satisfyingly quick meal. With dinner all set, I can go back to packing for my upcoming trip. I keep reminding myself to pack as little as possible, but for some reason, I still seem to overpack. This time around, I made an active attempt to pack just the right amount of clothing while including some room in my luggage for snacks. There is no way I can last hours without some sort of snack to hold me over. If only I can take along some pasta with me on my trip, then I would be able to satisfy even the most intense pasta cravings.
For the spinach and sausage baked rigatoni:
· 1 teaspoon kosher salt
· ½ package dried rigatoni pasta
· ½ pound Italian sausage
· 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand crushed
· 1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· 6-8 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
· ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar
· 1½ cups loosely packed spinach
· 2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
· 2-3 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes or torn into small pieces
Directions:
1) Heat a pot of water on medium high heat until it starts to boil. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt. Pour in the dried rigatoni pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions two minutes short of the cook time listed on the package instructions. When time is up, remove the pot from the heat. Reserve about ¼ cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the water from the pasta. Set aside.
2) Preheat oven to 375°F. Set aside a casserole dish.
3) Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the Italian sausage. Use a spatula to break up the sausage. Cook the sausage until it begins to brown and develop crispy brown bits, about 5-7 minutes. Add the pasta water, hand crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add in half of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Toss in the undercooked rigatoni pasta.
4) Add a layer of spinach leaves. Pour half of the pasta into the casserole dish. Add about a third of the remaining half of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Add a few cubes or pieces of mozzarella cheese. Pour the remaining half of the pasta into the casserole dish. Top with more spinach and the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and mozzarella cheese.
5) Place the casserole dish into the preheated oven. Bake the pasta for 25-30 minutes.
Takeaways: This pasta dish is extremely versatile. You can swap in any meat and vegetables of your choice depending on what you have in your refrigerator. Feel free to use up some of the leftover vegetable and cheese in your refrigerator.
You may also like my broccoli and sausage baked penne or my peppers and sausage baked cavatappi.