Baked Rigatoni with Sausage

Name: Baked Rigatoni with Sausage
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (mild or hot); 1 onion (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1/3 cup dry white wine; 1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (15-oz can); 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp pepper; 2 tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped, or 2 tbsp dried); 1 cup cream (25% - 35% cream works best); 1 lb rigatoni (approximately 450 grams); 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage is a hearty and cozy dinner that comes together in 30 minutes. A perfect quick and easy weeknight meal, or a fancy weekend dinner! Rigatoni is baked in the most irresistible creamy tomato sauce packed with sausage and covered in cheese.

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage Recipe

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This baked pasta is comfort on a plate! My Mom has been making this pasta dish for years and it's always on repeat in our house. We can never get enough of this pasta, leftovers are unheard of! It's the perfect weeknight meal that comes together in a flash but it's also fancy enough for weekend dinners, family parties, and holiday get togethers!

What is Baked Rigatoni with Sausage

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage is a flavor packed baked pasta dish. A rich and creamy tomato sauce is packed with cooked sausage, onion, garlic, cream, and white wine. Tossed together with rigatoni pasta and baked covered with mozzarella cheese. The cheesy top layer is oh so melty and the pasta is so rich and creamy! It's the perfect meal served with a side salad, soup, or breadsticks!

What to Serve with this Dish

Ingredients

Rigatoni - rigatoni is a tube shaped pasta. It's perfect for pasta bakes as the sauce gets in the tube making the perfect bite! You can also use penne, rotini, macaroni, or any fun shaped pasta you like.
Sausage - you can use mild or hot Italian sausage. If you can find sausage meat without the casing that's even faster to use for the recipe, if not just simply remove the casings from the sausage.
Crushed Tomatoes - the base of the tomato sauce.
Cream - the creams gives the sauce the most irresistible and rich creamy texture. We do not recommend swapping for milk but for a lower calorie recipe you could swap for milk if you prefer, but the consistency of the sauce will be different.
Mozzarella - the pasta bake is topped with shredded mozzarella and baked until golden brown.
White Wine - a splash of white wine adds a richness to the sauce.
Onion and Garlic - cooked into the sauce.
Parsley - fresh or fried parsley adds a pop or color and flavor to the sauce.
Olive Oil - to sauté the sausage.
Basil - adds a great flavor to the sauce, you can use fresh or dried.
Salt and Pepper

How to Make Baked Rigatoni

Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of page

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions, until just done (al dente). While the pasta cooks prepare the sauce.
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Remove casing from Italian sausage and add to the pan. Use the spatula to break up the meat while cooking. Sauté until cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.
Note: if there is excess fat in the pan, remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
Add the onion and cloves garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the white wine and cook until it almost evaporates, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the sausage, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer covered, for 10 minutes.
Stir in the fresh parsley, fresh basil, and cream.

Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish and top with the with the mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 5 to 10 minutes until cheese melts.
Garnish with fresh parsley and basil, optional. Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Pasta

Pasta - be sure to cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. The pasta will continue to cook when it is baked in the oven so you don't want to overcook the pasta when boiling it or else it will be completely over cooked once it's been baked. We love using rigatoni but you can use any shape of pasta you prefer or have on hand.
Flavor Variations - you can change up the recipe to keep it fun and unique each time you make it. You can swap the flavor of sausage used - try mild Italian, honey garlic, or a hot Italian sausage. For a spicy version use hot Italian sausage and add a tablespoon of sriracha to the tomato sauce. You can even top the pasta bake with a shredded spicy Havarti cheese!

FAQ

How to reheat?

Oven Baked - you can reheat leftovers covered in the oven at 350°F for about 8-10 minutes, then uncover for 2-3 minutes to crispen the top.
Microwave - reheat leftovers on a microwave safe plate for about 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway through.

How to store?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, you can prepare the full recipe a day in advance and reheat before serving. Undercook the pasta by about 1-2 minutes as the pasta will continue to cook while cooling down.

Can I freeze this recipe?

Yes! This recipe is freezer friendly. Transfer cooled leftovers to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat individual servings from frozen in the microwave for about 5-6 minutes, or in the oven at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes, then uncover for 5 minutes to crispen the top.

Can I make this vegetarian?

For a vegetarian recipe use a plant based sausge.

Is this recipe gluten free?

For a gluten free recipe be sure to use gluten free pasta and a gluten free sausage.