Description
Comforting cheesy Italian sausage and spinach rigatoni bake delivers hearty Mediterranean flavors with rich pasta layers. Melted cheese, savory sausage, and fresh spinach combine for a perfect weeknight dinner you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) mild Italian sausage links
- ½ lb (227 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ lb (227 g) fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and sliced
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lb (454 g) rigatoni
- 1 (24 oz / 680 g) jar marinara sauce
- 1 lb (454 g) cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ lb (113 g) fresh spinach
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup (60 ml) + a drizzle olive oil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Sausage Roasting: Preheat oven to 450°F and roast olive oil-coated Italian sausage links on a sheet pan for 12 minutes until fully cooked, then slice into quarter-inch medallions.
- Pasta Preparation: Boil salted water and cook rigatoni 2 minutes less than package instructions for perfect al dente texture, reserving half cup starchy pasta water.
- Flavor Building: In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté sausage slices in olive oil until golden, then add cherry tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, allowing tomatoes to burst and release juices.
- Sauce Creation: Pour marinara sauce into the pot, incorporate fresh spinach, starchy pasta water, and fold in Parmesan cheese until melted and integrated.
- Pasta Integration: Drain rigatoni and gently fold into sauce with chopped parsley, ensuring even distribution of ingredients.
- Cheese Layering: Coat a cast iron skillet or baking dish with olive oil, layer half the pasta mixture, spread shredded mozzarella, repeat with remaining pasta, and top with fresh mozzarella slices.
- Final Baking: Bake for 8 minutes until cheese melts, then broil 1-2 minutes to achieve a golden-brown, crispy cheese crust.
Notes
- Optimize Sausage Roasting: Coat links generously with olive oil to enhance caramelization and prevent sticking during high-heat roasting.
- Master Al Dente Pasta: Undercook rigatoni by 2 minutes to ensure perfect texture when baked, as pasta continues cooking in the sauce.
- Build Flavor Layers: Sauté sausage and burst tomatoes before adding herbs to develop deep, complex taste profile throughout the dish.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Use a combination of shredded and fresh mozzarella for ultimate creamy texture and appealing golden-brown top layer during final broiling.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 566
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 970 mg
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg