Queens Eats: Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage

This article was written by Erin Walsh.

Happy Friday.

Food is like fashion in one crucial respect: some days you crave the latest styles or trends and other times you just want comfort, the culinary equivalent of your favorite jeans or sweatpants.

I was craving comfort last Sunday, a cold day made colder by trekking into Manhattan wearing a too-light jean jacket, and just wanted to fill my tummy with comfort food when I returned.

So, I turned to this recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage, which can be made using homemade sauce. I admit that I was feeling a bit lazy and used Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil sauce instead. Any variety of marinara sauce would work in this dish as well for a shortcut.

Try this next time you yearn for a satisfying and comforting meal. Sweats are optional.

Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta & Sausage (Source: Williams-Sonoma Make Ahead Food Made Fast)

Ingredients

3 cups store-bought marinara or roasted tomato sauce
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pitted black Mediterranean olives, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb. rigatoni
1 ¾ cup ricotta cheese (I used the fat-free variety from Trader Joe’s)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Prepare the Sauce: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a deep 2 ½ quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until browned, about six minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

2. Cook the Pasta: Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until pasta is not quite al dente, about two minutes less than the package directions. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again.

3. Bake the Pasta: Return the pasta to the cooking pot. Stir in the tomato sauce and ricotta. Spread the pasta and sauce in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake until the surface is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes and serve.