Description
This Lasagna Casserole recipe combines hearty Italian sausage, tender rigatoni pasta, and a rich ricotta cheese mixture baked to perfection with melted mozzarella and Parmesan for a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 10 oz rigatoni
Sauce
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 24 oz pasta sauce
Ricotta Mixture
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 1 cup ricotta
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set it aside to be used later.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the rigatoni in salted boiling water following package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta thoroughly and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In a 4-quart saucepan, brown the Italian sausage while breaking it into small pieces. Once browned, add the diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook until the onion softens, about 4-6 minutes. Then stir in the pasta sauce, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Prepare Ricotta Mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, ricotta, kosher salt, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese until well combined.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the prepared meat sauce to the cooked pasta and stir well to combine everything evenly.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the sauced pasta into the greased baking dish. Distribute the ricotta mixture evenly in about 6 mounds across the casserole. Roughly stir some of the ricotta mixture into the pasta and sprinkle the remaining 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 45 minutes or until the pasta is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Optionally, for a golden top, broil for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking.
Notes
- Use good quality cheese by freshly grating Parmesan and shredding mozzarella from a block for better flavor and a softer melt.
- The ricotta mixture can be difficult to spread evenly; dolloping multiple portions across the pasta works best and creates tasty pockets of cheese.
- To achieve a golden-brown cheese crust, switch the oven to broil for the final 1–2 minutes of cooking, watching carefully to avoid burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
