Bakedrigatoniwithspinachricottaandfontina Recipes

BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni.
• Drain.
• Brown ground beef.
• Drain grease.
• Mix ground beef, spaghetti sauce, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.
• cheese and ricotta cheese together with rigatoni noodles.
• Pat mixture in a 13" x 9" pan.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
• Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.
• Cover with foil.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and sugar. Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook until slightly reduced, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add rigatoni, and cook, stirring occasionally, 9 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse under cool water until cool. Set aside.
• In a medium nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage, and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain, and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta with half of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. Season with a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
• To assemble, spread 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half of the rigatoni in an even layer. Spread with 1/2 cup sauce, ricotta mixture, sausage, and 1 cup more sauce. Top with remaining rigatoni, and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Any remaining sauce may be reheated and served on the side or reserved for another use. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top to cover. Place baking dish on a baking sheet, and transfer to oven. Bake until bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve hot.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the topping: Add the ricotta, basil, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season well with salt and cook the rigatoni for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage to the pan. Cook, stirring often and breaking apart the meat with the back of a spoon, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook to marry the flavors, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well to coat. Add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly.
• Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the top. Nestle the ricotta mixture into the pasta and cover with some of the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

BAKED RICOTTA AND SPINACH RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cook rigatoni for 5 minutes in a pot of boiling, salted water. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.
• To make the bechamel sauce:
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the shallots and garlic. Sweat the shallots and garlic for a few minutes until softened and but not colored. Add the flour and stir until a smooth paste forms. Gradually whisk in the wine and then the milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. Let cool slightly.
• Transfer cooled bechamel to a large mixing bowl and add the spinach, ricotta, and eggs. Mix in rigatoni and transfer to a greased 9 by13-inch baking dish. Top with grated mozzarella. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned on top, the center is no longer runny, and the sides are bubbly.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND FONTINA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done, about 12 minutes.
• Drain.
• Put the pasta in the prepared baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
• Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach.
• Put the spinach in a food processor and puree with the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
• Stir in half the fontina.
• Stir the spinach mixture into the pasta.
• Top with the remaining fontina and Parmesan.
• Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the top.
• Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
• VARIATION:.
• You can substitute another chunky pasta, such as penne rigate, penne, ziti, or fusilli. Boil all of these one or two minutes less.

CREAMY RIGATONI FLORENTINE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; saute chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Add mushrooms to skillet; saute until mushrooms are tender, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; saute until fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir spaghetti sauce, half-and-half, and Italian seasoning into mushroom mixture; cook and stir over medium heat until sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Mix cooked chicken and spinach into sauce and cook until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.
• Stir pasta into sauce and add mozzarella cheese; stir until cheese melts. Garnish dish with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, sauce, paste, water, mushrooms, parsley, garlic and seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. , Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and toss with butter. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. Stir into rigatoni mixture. Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish; top with tomato mixture., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY SPINACH & RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook rigatoni according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings; wipe skillet clean., In same pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese blend until melted., Stir in artichokes, spinach and pancetta. Drain rigatoni; add to cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese., Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.