Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta

5 from 3 votes

Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta combines lean turkey sausage, rigatoni pasta, homemade marinara sauce, and ricotta cheese. This simple pasta dish is creamy and delicious and will be a hit with the whole family!

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword baked pasta, baked rigatoni with ricotta

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 611kcal

Author Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes
3-4 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste

Remaining ingredients:

1 pound rigatoni pasta
2 pound turkey sausage - or other sausage
15 oz. ricotta cheese
4 oz. parmesan cheese - freshly grated

Instructions

Cook turkey sausage. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and the turkey sausage. Use a rubber spatula to break up the meat and cook until browned and completely cooked through. Remove the ground meat to a clean plate for later.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 2 pound turkey sausage
Make the marinara sauce.
* In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in a little olive oil for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic and seasonings – and stir for another minute or so.
* Then add all the tomatoes (crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste), the chicken broth, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce heat to a simmer.
* Continue cooking the sauce for about 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce cooks down slightly. Test and add seasonings as needed.
1/2 large onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,
28 oz. crushed tomatoes, 15 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 3-4 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup lower-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and a good amount of salt, and cook according to package directions or until the pasta is cooked to al dente. Strain pasta and reserve a little bit of pasta water.
1 pound rigatoni pasta
Combine. Add the cooked sausage and pasta to the pot of marinara sauce and stir well. Spoon pasta into a baking dish.
Top with cheese. Add dollops of ricotta cheese and shredded parmesan cheese to the top of pasta.
15 oz. ricotta cheese, 4 oz. parmesan cheese
Bake. Bake pasta in a preheated 350-degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until piping hot. The cooking time may vary if the pasta has been made ahead of time and refrigerated.
Serve with some fresh basil.

Notes

PREP AHEAD. You can prep this easy pasta dish in advance, refrigerate it, and then bake it later. Perfect to make on a busy night!

STORE. Store the leftover baked pasta dish in an airtight container or a dish covered with aluminum foil.

FREEZE. Freeze the unbaked pasta wrapped tightly in foil and then in a freezer bag for up to three months. Set frozen pasta in the refrigerator to thaw before baking.

Nutrition