Italian food is always a winner at my house, so I know the recipes I share tend to be pasta heavy. But that’s what works for us. I spent some time over the weekend flipping through Bodie’s Cook It Quick cookbook that he bought at the Scholastic Book Fair last year and thought this pasta bake sounded like something everyone in my family would like. Spoiler: the kids complained about the mushrooms, but I left them big enough to easily pick out. They didn’t say anything about the sweet red pepper and I certainly didn’t bring it to their attention. The husband and I both found this very flavorful. A new comfort food for Team Slagel. Many of the recipes in this cookbook are family friendly. Check it out here: https://amzn.to/4hZBSte
Sausage Rigatoni Dinner
Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Rigatoni
- 1 pound Bulk Italian Sausage
- ½ pound Fresh Mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 Medium Sweet Red Pepper (chopped)
- 5 cups Marinara Sauce
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 2 tablespoons Half-And-Half Cream
- 1 pound Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese (sliced)
Directions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown sausage over medium heat for 5 minutes; drain. In a large bowl, combine milk and soup. Stir in 1/2 cup onions, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and sausage. Drain pasta; stir into sausage mixture.
- Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 375° until bubbly, 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining onions and cheeses. Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes longer.
I baked mine in one big dish rather than two small dishes. Also, as you can see from my notes in the cookbook, I added red pepper flakes to the sauce. We like a little heat with our pasta dishes.
Enjoy!
