Baked Penne Rigate
Here is how to make an easy and impressive Baked Penne Rigate. It is layered with hot Italian sausage and some ground beef, onion, and bottled Italian and tomato sauce, along with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Scrumptious!
Here is how to make an easy and impressive Baked Penne Rigate. It is layered with hot Italian sausage and some ground beef, onion, and bottled Italian and tomato sauce, along with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Scrumptious!
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 medium onion chopped
- cooking oil spray
- 1 pound hot (or mild) italian sausage, with casings removed
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt (for cooking pasta)
- a splash of extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz. penne rigate cooked according to package directions (you may use any type of
- 26 oz. jar italian sauce (i used prego.)
- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
- 12 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese (or more, to taste)
- Carbohydrate 19.648228854125 g
- Cholesterol 21.17719003125 mg
- Fat 25.908143000375 g
- Fiber 0.999490469056511 g
- Protein 8.32327535925 g
- Saturated Fat 4.97431752645 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (131g)
- Sodium 86.726887575 mg
- Sugar 18.6487383850685 g
- Trans Fat 0.834086698456248 g
- Calories 348 calories
Step-by-step
- In a deep skillet, cook 1 pound Italian sausage, ? pound ground beef, and 1 medium chopped onion, stirring constantly until meat is browned.
- Drain meat mixture.
- Cook 12 oz. penne rigate pasta, according to package directions.
- (I added 1 teaspoon salt and a splash of olive oil, and cooked the pasta for about 8 minutes.)
- Drain pasta.
- In your deep skillet, combine browned meat mixture, cooked pasta, a 26 oz. jar Italian sauce, and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce.
- Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon half of meat mixture into a 13-inch by 9-inch by 2-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
- Top with half of the sliced mozzarella cheese and half of the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the layers, by adding the remaining meat mixture and the remaining half of the mozzarella cheese and the remaining half of the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until heated through and the cheeses have melted and are beginning to brown.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
- This casserole goes well with tossed salad greens, ciabatta bread dipped in olive oil, and a tall glass of iced tea!
Cook the pasta two minutes under package instructions
Boiling penne until fully tender before baking guarantees mushy results after fifteen minutes in a 375 degree oven. Pasta continues absorbing moisture from the tomato sauce and melted mozzarella as the dish heats through. Drain the penne firmly while it maintains a distinct bite so the structure holds up under heavy meat sauces.
Balance sausage and beef ratios
Swapping the hot Italian sausage for mild changes the flavor profile entirely without altering the moisture levels of the dish. However, replacing lean ground beef with high-fat chuck requires draining the skillet thoroughly after browning or pools of grease will separate during baking.
Layer cheeses for proper melting
Dividing the sliced mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly between the bottom and top layers prevents the surface from burning before the center reaches serving temperature. Uncovered baking at 375 degrees allows the top cheese layer to brown lightly without trapping steam inside the casserole dish.
