Rigatoni al Forno (With Sausage!)
This rigatoni al forno is a quick and easy weeknight baked pasta, full of flavor. Spicy Italian sausage, rigatoni with a bite, and a creamy but spicy rosé sauce, make for a soon-to-be family favorite! The sauce is made from scratch, and is ready to go by the time your pasta is cooked.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 660kcal
Equipment
- Baking Dish 10.5 x 7.5"
Ingredients
- 3 links Hot Italian sausage casings removed
- ½ lb Rigatoni pasta
- 4 cloves Fresh garlic minced
- ½ Onion finely diced
- ¼ cup Tomato paste
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon Dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli flakes
- ½ cup Bocconcini cheese pearls torn
- 1 cup Pasta water
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, generously salt the water.
- Boil the rigatoni until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.½ lb Rigatoni pasta
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large pot, heat ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown the Italian sausage, taken out of the casing. Break the sausage apart into small crumbles. Once the sausage is mostly browned, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until fragrant and the onions are translucent.3 links Hot Italian sausage, 4 cloves Fresh garlic, ½ Onion
- Add the tomato paste and dried spices to the sausage, onion and garlic mixture. Combine everything well, and cook the tomato paste through for 2-3 minutes to get rid of the raw tomato flavor. Add the heavy cream once the tomato paste is cooked through, and combine well. Taste for salt, and adjust to your taste.¼ cup Tomato paste, ½ cup Heavy cream, 1 ½ teaspoon Dried oregano, 1 teaspoon Red chilli flakes, Sea salt
- Add the cooked rigatoni, and a generous splash of the pasta water to the pot. Toss well. Add more pasta water if you feel that the sauce is too thick.1 cup Pasta water
- Transfer the pasta to a 10.5 x 7.5" baking dish, and top with torn bocconcini cheese. Bake the pasta for 10-15 minutes, and then broil for 5 minutes on HI, until the cheese is fully melted and lightly browned.½ cup Bocconcini cheese pearls
Notes
- Remove the sausage casing: The easiest way to remove the sausage meat is to squeeze one end of the sausage link, and slide the meat right out of the casing on the other end.
- Extra cheesiness: Assemble the baked pasta in layers, alternating between cheese and pasta, to get extra bites of cheesiness.
- Give the tomato paste time: One of the keys to cooking with tomato paste is giving it time to cook through and release some of its oils. This deepens the tomato flavor without tasting raw or overpowering.
Nutrition
Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 776mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 849IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 3mg