Baked Rigatoni with Ricotta and Sausage

By kimvess

Ingredients

• 2 Tbs. olive oil, plus more for brushing dish
• 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 cups roasted tomato sauce (see below)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted black Mediterranean olives
• 2 Tbs. salt, plus more, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. rigatoni
• 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Details

Servings 25
Adapted from williams-sonoma.com

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the sauce
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a deep 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the sausage and sauté, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and olives, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cook the pasta
Meanwhile, add the 2 Tbs. salt and the pasta to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is not quite al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold running water and drain again.

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 Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until the surface is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Roasted tomato sauce:

Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
2 yellow onions, cut into wedges
3 lb. plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 garlic heads, halved crosswise
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt, to taste, plus 2 Tbs.
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Roast the vegetables
Preheat an oven to 450°F.

Place the peppers, onions, tomatoes and garlic on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables until tender and golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool until easy to handle.

Remove and discard the skins from the roasted peppers and tomatoes and transfer the flesh to a bowl. Squeeze the roasted garlic from the cloves into the bowl and add the onions and basil. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.