Healthy Rigatoni Bake Recipes

RIGATONI PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, stir and cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until browned and onions have softened. Drain any juices released.
• Add the Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and cook 1 minute.
• Add the pasta sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add rigatoni, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook just until al dente (it will continue to cook slightly in the oven).
• Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain pasta. Stir reserved pasta water into meat sauce.
• Combine pasta and pasta sauce in saucepan. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13" or similar baking dish.
• Cover with a lightly greased piece of foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until heated through.
• **Optionally, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Bake at 350 degrees F until heated through, about 30-40 minutes.
• Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes, until cheese has started to brown.

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 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.

RIGATONI PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet; drain.
• Drain pasta; spoon into 3-qt. casserole sprayed with cooking spray. Add meat, pasta sauce, tomatoes, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 Tbsp. basil; mix well. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining basil.

BAKED RIGATONI FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sausage; stir to break up lumps and cook until lightly browned and crumbly, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and discard grease.
• Add undrained tomatoes, water, basil, oregano, and parsley to the pan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, partially covered, for 25 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water, and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
• Uncover the sauce and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add 2/3 of the sauce to the pasta; toss to combine. Stir in mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish, pour remaining sauce over top, and cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan, and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes longer.

HEALTHY RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a skillet, cook beef until browned and crumbled.
• Drain grease.
• Add oats to beef and stir well to incorporate.
• Add spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, and rigatoni to the beef and mix well.
• In a casserole dish, add your rigatoni mixture and top with mozzarella and romano cheeses.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.
• Hint: I usually use a full pound of meat and 2% cottage cheese.

SPICY RIGATONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees celcius.
• In a heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Add red pepper, garlic, and fennel seeds. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until onions are soft and golden.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Remove sausage from casings and brown the crumbled sausage meat, about 8 minutes.
• Drain off the fat.
• Stir in pasta sauce and vinegar.
• Return vegetable mixture to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for about 8 minutes, or until tender but firm.
• Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Combine mozzarella and parmesan cheese, set 1 cup aside.
• Stir remaining cheese into pasta mixture.
• Pour into 13X9 inch glass baking dish, pressing pasta to submerge.
• Sprinkle with reserved cheese and parsley.
• Bake, covered, in oven for 30 - 45 minutes, uncover and continue for another 15 minutes or until golden.
• To make ahead: let cool in refrigerator, cover and refrigerate for up to one day. Or, overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 48 hours.