Baked pasta, or pasta al forno, is a classic Italian dish. This baked rigatoni with Italian sausage and meatballs is my spin on a family recipe. Baked rigatoni is a hearty, filling, meaty, cheesy dish that isa great comfort food any time of the year.
Starting with the sauce, either begin making it or put it into a small pot and heat it up over medium-low heat.
While the sauce is going, heat a 10 or 12-inch skillet over medium heat and remove the casings from two of the sausages. Cook the sausage and break it up as it cooks until it is in small pieces.
Add the cooked, ground sausage to the sauce. If you’re using frozen or premade, refrigerated meatballs, add them to the sauce now as well. Cover the pot and reduce to low heat.
Add the rest of the Italian sausages to the same skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally. If you have the room, you can start boiling a large pot of water for the pasta as well and move the sauce to a back burner on low.
When the sausages are mostly cooked, remove to a cutting board, and allow them to cool. When the water begins to boil, add a good amount of kosher salt and then add the pasta. Give it a good stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom. Cook the pasta to al dente, according to the package directions. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350°F / 180°C.
Once the pasta is ready, turn off the burner and drain the pot. Return the pasta to the empty pot and pour in the sauce. Stir gently to combine the pasta and meats and sauce. If using freshly made meatballs, add them now. Slice the cooked sausages, if they’re still a little pink inside, that’s fine, they will finish cooking in the oven.
Use a deep sided 9×13 baking dish and begin filling it. Start with some of the mixed pasta and sauce, add some of the sausage, then cover with half of the mozzarella. Arrange the pepperoni on top of the cheese if using. Next, do another layer of pasta and sausage, then more mozzarella and pepperoni. Top off with the shredded parmesan over the pepperoni.
Place uncovered into the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove when the top looks nicely browned and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
1) Making Ahead – You can make the sauce ahead of time, just wait to add the sausage and meatballs until you’re ready to make the baked pasta. Simmer on low heat while you make everything else and add the meat while it simmers.2) Baking Dish – A deep baking dish is essential for this recipe, otherwise you’ll never be able to layer and use all the pasta and fillings. If you use an oval casserole dish, you may have leftover filling that won’t fit. Add some cheese and reserve the extra for a quick meal, don’t try to overstuff the dish.3) Meatballs – I prefer the smaller, ½ ounce meatballs here because you can spread them out and get some in each bite. You can use large meatballs if you prefer, or if you make your own large ones, but you’ll want to use less. If using 1-ounce meatballs, cut the amount used in half. If using large meatballs, you may want to quarter them before adding to the dish.