Four Cheese Baked Rigatoni
This easy baked rigatoni recipe has Italian sausage, marinara sauce, loads of cheese, and it feeds a crowd. It's simple to make and super comforting on busy weeknights!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 3 cups (24 oz.) marinara sauce
- 8 ounces ricotta
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Boil a large, salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook it 2 minutes less than package directions indicate. Once it's done, drain it and add it back to the pot it was cooked in and set aside.
- Meanwhile, add the sausage meat, along with the onion, to a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook it for about 10 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along and stirring occasionally, until it's cooked.
- To the skillet, stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes, then continue cooking it for another minute or so.
- To the skillet, stir in the marinara sauce and warm it through for a few minutes.
- To the pot with the pasta, add in about half of the skillet sausage/sauce mixture and give it a stir. Transfer it to a 9x13 baking/casserole dish and spread it in an even layer.
- Add the ricotta to the baking dish (you don't need to be too neat... I just use a spoon to put dollops here and there) and then sprinkle the parmesan evenly over top.
- Spoon the rest of the sausage/sauce mixture evenly on top of the parmesan/ricotta layer.
- Sprinkle on the mozza/cheddar for the final cheesy topping.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes, and then broil for a few minutes to brown the cheese (watch it carefully). Let sit for about 5 minutes prior to serving, then enjoy!
Notes
- Serves 6-8 depending on how much people eat/if you serve it with a side.
- For the sausage, you can use anything in the ballpark of 16 oz/1 lb. Here in Canada I get a 500g pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages and take the meat out of the casings.
- I used 2 cups of a shredded mozza/cheddar blend to save time, but feel free to grate your own cheeses.
- See blog post for process photos.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1279mg | Potassium: 636mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 906IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 3mg
