This baked rigatoni casserole, made with a flavorsome meat sauce loaded with Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and tomatoes, is a comforting cheesy baked pasta dish perfect for colder weather and always a crowd-pleaser!
Baked Rigatoni
This baked rigatoni casserole, made with a flavorsome meat sauce loaded with Italian sausage, fresh herbs, and tomatoes, is a comforting cheesy baked pasta dish perfect for colder weather and always a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 pounds mild Italian sausage links casings removed
- 28 ounce cans Italian-style crushed tomatoes undrained
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 16 ounce packages rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups freshly shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- aluminum foil
Instructions
- 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.
- Meanwhile, 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.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Uncover the sauce and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add 2/3 of the sauce to pasta; toss to combine. Stir in mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a 9×13-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.
Notes
If you like it spicy, use 1 pound mild Italian sausage and 1 pound hot Italian sausage. For a healthier version, use turkey sausage.
If you don’t have fresh herbs, use dried instead: 2 teaspoons of dried basil, and 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried parsley.
This recipe can easily be halved or divided into two pans — one to eat and one to freeze unbaked. If freezing and baking later, increase the baking time by 30 minutes.
