Can I use penne instead of rigatoni?

You can use penne or ziti if that is want you have on hand but I will tell you that rigatoni is the premier choice here. It holds the chunky sauce and cheese better than other pastas do.

How long should I cook my pasta for this recipe?

Since the pasta will be baked in the oven, I suggest cooking the pasta al dente which means it will have just a little bite left to it. You don’t want it to be overcooked and mushy. Cook it the shortest amount recommended or 1 minute less than advised.

Should I drain the meat after cooking it?

Yes, but only if it's is obviously very greasy. If the pan doesn't have much grease on the bottom after the onion and meat are cooked, you don't have to work about it.

What should I serve with baked rigatoni?

I like to serve pasta dishes with a fresh, green salad and a loaf of bread (like baguettes !). You can never go wrong with adding a vegetable as a side dish in my opinion.

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage

Description

Baked rigatoni is a family favorite dinner that's so easy to make. You simple cook up some sausage and onion, add some canned tomatoes and seasoning, and stir all of that in with cooked rigatoni. Add that to a dish and top with cheese and then bake to perfection. We make this recipe often!

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Ingredients

Scale

2 pound ground sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (29 ounces)
1 can petite diced tomatoes with the juice (15 ounces)
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked according to the package directions and drained
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella (8 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, optional

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large skillet or pan add the sausage and the diced onion and cook, breaking up the sausage as you go, until the sausage is cooked through and the onion tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add both cans of tomatoes and Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Remove from the heat.
Add the cooked rigatoni pasta to the pan and stir to combine.
Add the pasta and sausage mixture to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the dish.
Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top of the dish.
Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is a bit browned. Sometimes if the sauce is done and everything is hot but the cheese isn't quite browned enough to my liking, I'll put it under the broil setting on my oven for 30 second to a minute to crisp up the cheese just a little.
Let the dish rest 5 minutes and then serve hot.

Notes

You have lots of options when it comes to sausage. You can get ground sausage like Jimmy Dean's or sausage with casing (just remove the casing). You can use Italian sausage, normal breakfast sausage, hot or spicy sausage or just about anything that you like or have on hand.
You can use any similar sized pasta in this recipe if you prefer.

Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Category: main dish
Method: bake
Cuisine: American

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