This Cheesy Rigatoni al Forno is baked in a simple, delicious sauce and three cheeses! The flavors are very similar to lasagna, but it's SO much quicker and easier to make and it all comes together in one pan. It's a great make-ahead meal and the leftovers are divine!
8ozfresh mozzarella cheese, cut or torn into small chunksSee Note 1
1/2cupgrated Parmesan cheeseParmigiono Reggiano or pecorino romano are also great!
1/2tspsea salt (to taste)
red pepper flakes and fresh basil (optional, to taste)
Instructions
In a small bowl, stir together ricotta and Italian seasoning or dried oregano. Set aside.
In a large pot of water, boil pasta to al dente -- about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain and set cooked pasta aside. Preheat oven to 400°F.
While pasta is boiling, add 1 tsp of olive oil to a large oven-proof skillet or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for 3-4 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain grease, if needed. Pro tip: using a potato masher about halfway through cooking works great to get the meat nice and fine!
Add crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes and garlic. Use a spoon (or your hands!) to break up the whole tomatoes so there are no large chunks. Bring to a boil, then simmer sauce over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Taste, and season with salt if necessary (See Note 2).
Carefully stir in pasta, making sure it is well coated with the sauce. Make sure pasta is spread in a nice, single layer over the pan and that most of the pasta is covered with sauce. Note: If you don't have an oven-proof pan, you can transfer the pasta mixture to a baking dish at this point.Sprinkle on the Parmesan cheese. Then dollop on ricotta mixture. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. If using fresh mozzarella, nestle the pieces into the pasta.
Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Optional: Broil for the last 2-3 minutes for nice, golden brown cheese! Allow dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes, if you like!
Notes
Note 1: 2 cups of shredded mozzarella works great, too!Note 2: Canned tomatoes have varying degrees of saltiness, so it's important not to over salt until you taste the sauce :)