Baked Rigatoni With Sausage Meatballs And Broccoli Rabe Recipes

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.

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 3 cloves quartered garlic in center of a small piece of aluminum foil lined with parchment paper. Fold up edges to form sides. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Fold aluminum foil and parchment over garlic to enclose. Place on a small baking sheet. Transfer to oven and bake until golden brown and soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add broccoli rabe and cook until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces; set aside. In a blender, puree sun-dried tomatoes. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
• In a large skillet, combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 4 cloves crushed garlic, dried red pepper, and a pinch of salt over medium heat. Cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook, stirring frequently until brown, about 10 minutes. Add pureed sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and broccoli rabe. Cook until liquid is reduced, 10 to 12 minutes more. Toss cooked pasta with roasted garlic, and add to sauce. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve immediately.

BROCCOLI AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKED RIGATONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a medium bowl, then reduce the heat to medium.
• Add 3 more tablespoons of the butter and the garlic to the same pot. Cook until the butter has melted and the garlic is softened slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until it's bubbling all over and no longer raw, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, then bring to a steady simmer. Simmer until it has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the mozzarella and fontina until smooth. Season with 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few good grinds of pepper. Keep warm over low heat.
• Meanwhile, season the pot of boiling water generously with salt (it should taste like the ocean). Add the pasta and cook until al dente, adding the broccoli florets during the last 4 minutes of cooking, about 8 minutes total.
• Use a spider to transfer the pasta and broccoli into the cheese sauce and stir until evenly coated. Stir in the sausage. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the breadcrumbs and parsley then sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Top with the Parmesan. Bake until the sauce is bubbling around the sides and the breadcrumb topping is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the quartered garlic in the center of a square of foil lined with parchment paper. Fold up the edges of the foil to form sides. Drizzle the garlic with 3 tablespoons oil, and season with salt. Fold the foil up over the garlic to seal, forming a pouch. Transfer to a baking sheet. Roast the garlic until soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add the broccoli rabe, and cook until bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces; set aside. Puree the sun-dried tomatoes in a blender. Transfer to a small bowl; set aside.
• Cook the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the crushed garlic, the chile, and a pinch of salt in a large skillet over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sausage; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in the broccoli rabe, sun-dried-tomato puree, and plum tomatoes. Cook until the liquid has reduced, 10 to 12 minutes more.
• Toss the cooked pasta with roasted garlic. Stir the pasta mixture into the sauce in the skillet. Season with salt and pepper.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE MEATBALLS AND BROCCOLI RABE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add vodka, and cook until liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, canned tomatoes, cream, oregano, and thyme. Cook at a gentle simmer about 30 minutes to let the sauce thicken and the flavors infuse.
• While sauce is cooking, make meatballs: Using your hands, roll sausage into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat, and saute meatballs in batches until well browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add to tomato sauce when cooked.
• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's instructions. Transfer noodles to a colander, and rinse with cold running water to stop the cooking. Stir noodles into sauce mixture.
• To assemble: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Trim and discard the tough ends of broccoli rabe. Cut broccoli rabe into 1-inch lengths. Add salt to water, and blanch broccoli rabe in boiling water until bright green and just tender, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander, and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Add to pasta mixture, and stir to combine. Pour into prepared baking dish, and top with cheese. Bake until mixture is bubbling and top is slightly browned, about 30 minutes.