Tangy Cheesy Rigatoni Bake
I cannot stop drooling over this recipe. Honestly it was one of the hardest recipes to photograph because I could not stop eating it. It's based off a recipe my mom used to make but I've tweaked it for my adult pallet and hot. damn. This will absolutely be in my monthly rotation and may I suggest you add it to yours. It's ridiculously cheesy without being overwhelming. It's got a unique tang that I've never experienced in a tomato pasta before. And it's super easy. Yes please. I make it with turkey but ground beef would be amazing too.
2 tbsp olive oil
1 jar marinara sauce (I love Rao's)
1 roasted red pepper in a vinegary brine
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili flakes
400 g rigatoni
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions
1 lb ground turkey or beef
2 cups mozzarella
1/3 cup sour cream
125 g cream cheese
Red Sauce
1 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 lb ground turkey or beef
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 jar marinara sauce (I love Rao's)
Tangy Mix
1/3 cup sour cream
125 g cream cheese
1 roasted red pepper in a vinegary brine
Pre Recipe Prep
Dice 1 onion
Mince 3 cloves garlic
Dice green part of green onions (you don't need the white part here) and divide in half
Finely dice roasted red pepper
Grate cheese
Make Red Sauce
Preheat oven to 425. To a large pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add ground meat and a pinch of salt, break up meat and cook through (about 5 minutes). Mix in 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add in marinara sauce and turn heat down to medium and let simmer.
Prep Pasta
Salt your pasta water with 1 tbsp salt and then prepare your pasta following the directions on package. Cook to a firm al dente (about 1 minute less than it tells you). Set aside 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Once pasta is drained, add empty pot back to stove over low heat. Add 1/2 cup pasta waster and cream cheese and stir until melted. Add pasta back in, 1/3 cup sour cream, half of the green onions, and 1 diced fire roasted red pepper. Mix well.
Assemble and Bake
To a large baking dish, add a thin layer of the red sauce. Then add half the tangy pasta mixture, half or your red sauce and repeat (ending with red sauce on the top).
Sprinkle with all your cheese and remaining green onions and bake for 20 minutes.
Do not use pre-shredded cheese. It has added ingredients that prevent melting properly.
Definitely use tubular pasta. The tangy cheese mixture gets inside the tubes and this is a definitely an experience you don't want to miss out on. Rigatoni is preferred but if you really can't find it you can use penne or something similar.
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