Baked Rigatoni with Sausage

Sideview of a skillet of baked rigatoni pasta with a serving spoon scooping a serving from the skillet. Melted cheese is pulling from the hot Italian sausage pasta bake. Hostess At Heart

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Baked rigatoni with sausage combines Italian sausage, three cheeses, and marinara for the ultimate comfort food. Easy one-pan recipe ready in 45 minutes!

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Servings

Author Julie Menghini

Ingredients

1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
1 box 1 pound Rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 5 links Italian sausages
1 bell pepper diced
1 jar 24 ounces marinara sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
1 ½ cup shredded Mozarella

Instructions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of salt (optional) to the water.
Cook the Rigatoni pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Usually I follow the cooking time on the box and use the shortest time indicated.
Drain the water and set aside. Do not rinse with cold water. You may add some oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. Set aside.
While the pasta is cooking, mix the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large oven proof skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. Take the sausage out of the links and cook it like you would cook ground beef. Use a heat proof spoon and crumble the sausage into pieces. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink or has reached a temperature of 165 degrees F. Drain excess fat.
Add the diced bell peppers, marinara sauce, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Mix so all the cooked sausage, peppers are coated with the sauce and the seasonings.
Add ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese and ½ cup fresh shredded Mozzarella. Mix well.
Add the pasta. Carefully mix to coat the pasta with the meat mixture. Spread evenly.
Add the ricotta mixture to the pasta and carefully mix. Spread evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining of the grated Parmigiano and Mozzarella.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden to your liking and the sauce is bubbling.
Cool for 5 minutes.

Notes

I used Rigatoni for this recipe; you can use any of the short pasta you want. I would recommend more Penne, Ziti, or Rotini as they are thicker. Elbows are thinner and will cook faster. Make sure to cook the pasta al dente, as it will be baking for an additional 20 minutes. Al dente pasta is when you taste them there is a slight resistance in the bite, but it shouldn’t be “crispy.I use a marinara sauce, but you can use any sauce you want, roasted garlic, spicy
I used Mozarella; you can use Colby Jack for a hint of sweetness, or even smoked Gouda.
I used regular Italian sausage links. You can use spicy, bratwurst, or a mix. Don't use breakfast sausage.
Once the pasta is completely cool, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
For a one-pan meal use either a large oven-proof skillet or a Dutch oven. If you don’t have either of these, once you are done with step 9, transfer the mixture to a deep 9x13 or baking dish.

Nutrition

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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