Baked Rigatoni & Italian Sausage

Baked pasta dishes are one of my favorite comfort foods only second to pizza. What can I say? I really like carbs, gooey cheese, and marinara sauce.

Baked Rigatoni & Italian Sausage

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

24 oz. marinara sauce

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbsp parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9"x13" casserole dish by spreading a thin layer of vegetable shortening inside the dish or spray with cooking spray.

 In a stock pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and allow to boil for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain the cooked pasta in a colander. Set aside.

 While the pasta is boiling, brown the sausage over medium high heat. When the meat starts to brown, add the onions and allow to cook for about 8 minutes or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant. 

Add the marinara sauce, chili flakes, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning to the meat. Reduce the heat to medium and allow to simmer for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the pasta to the prepared casserole dish. Once the pasta sauce has simmered and is warmed through, add the sauce to the casserole dish with the pasta. 

Gently mix the sauce and pasta until everything is well distributed evenly in the dish. 

Sprinkle the cheeses over the pasta. 

Place the dish into the preheated oven and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle parsley. Allow the pasta to cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with some garlic bread.

NOTES:

I like to use spicy sausage AND spicy marinara.

ENJOY!

~ Asha Cole