Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni

It is 69 degrees outside today and I will definitely take this beautiful Fall weather any time, especially when Thanksgiving is only one week away! This baked, hot, cheesy, Italian goodness will keep you warm this winter once temperatures start to drop. In this hearty dish, rigatoni noodles are packed full off fresh zucchini, mushrooms, yellow onion and mild Italian sausage. It is then topped with fresh mozzarella and baked to perfection! This is a great dish for large groups or cut the recipe in half for only four servings.

Adapted from KitchenRunway.com

You Will Need:

• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 12 oz, weight ground mild Italian sausage
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, diced
• 2 whole large zucchinis, quartered and sliced
• 10 oz, weight baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce (24 Oz.)
• 15 oz, weight low fat ricotta cheese
• 7 oz, weight shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese

Here We Go:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF
• Boil rigatoni in salted boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain
• While pasta is cooking, coat a large pan with olive oil and saute Italian sausage over medium to medium high heat until brown
• Remove sausage from pan, leaving juices in the pan and add onions to pan and cook until soft and the onions start to brown
• Add zucchinis and mushroom and saute until tender and add sausage back to the pan
• Add pasta sauce, salt and pepper and stir to combine
• Simmer for about 2 minutes and then add the ricotta and stir to combine
• Add half of the mozzarella cheese and turn off heat and stir to melt the mozzarella cheese
• Add pasta and stir to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper
• Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour the pasta into the dish
• Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes

Makes 6-8 Servings
Happy Feasting!