Pioneer Woman Baked Pasta With Sausage

Pioneer Woman baked pasta with sausage is a cozy, easy dinner of rigatoni, Italian sausage and kale in creamy parmesan sauce, ready in 80 minutes. That makes it a solid choice for weeknight comfort food, Sunday suppers or fall potluck nights, since the whole thing bakes in one dish.

The key step is cooking the rigatoni two minutes short of the package time, because the pasta absorbs liquid as it bakes. Without that buffer you end up with mushy noodles buried under all that cheese.

Sun-dried tomato oil does double duty here, greasing the baking dish and browning the sausage so every bite carries that concentrated flavor. Once the kale wilts into the sauce, it adds a peppery bite that cuts through the rich parmesan and mozzarella.

Pioneer Woman Baked Pasta With Sausage

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

40

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

1262

kcal

Rigatoni tossed in a flour-thickened parmesan sauce with browned Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and wilted kale, then baked under melted mozzarella.

Ingredients

• 1 (7-oz.) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced, 2 tbsp. oil reserved
  

• Kosher salt, to taste
  

• 1 lb. rigatoni
  

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
  

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  

• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  

• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  

• 3 c. whole milk
  

• 1 c. plus 2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
  

• 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
  

• Black pepper, to taste
  

• 1 c. grated mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Directions

• Prep the pasta: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil. While the oven heats, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni 2 minutes less than the package directs. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water.
• Brown the sausage: Heat the remaining tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil in the pasta pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes. Then add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
• Build the sauce: Add the flour to the pot and stir until incorporated, about 30 seconds, then pour in the milk and reduce the heat to medium low. Once the mixture simmers and thickens, about 4 minutes, stir in 1 cup of the parmesan until it melts into the sauce.
• Combine everything: Add the sun-dried tomatoes and kale to the sauce, then pour in the reserved cooking water and stir until the kale wilts, about 2 minutes. Then season with salt and pepper, add the drained pasta and toss to combine.
• Bake until golden: Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly, then sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of parmesan. Then bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven, OXO wooden spoon set, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use a different pasta shape instead of rigatoni?

Short, ridged shapes like penne or ziti work just as well, since the grooves and tubes trap the sauce the same way rigatoni does. But smooth shapes will still taste good, though you lose some of that sauce-clinging texture.

How long does this pasta bake keep in the fridge?

Stored in an airtight container, it keeps well for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. When reheating, bake at 350 degrees with a splash of milk on top, since the pasta soaks up liquid as it sits.

Can I assemble this ahead of time and bake it later?

You can build the whole dish up to 24 hours ahead, then cover the baking dish tightly and refrigerate it unbaked. Once you are ready to bake, add about 10 extra minutes since it goes in cold, and remove the wrap first.

What if I don't have a 9-by-13-inch baking dish?

A deep 3-quart casserole or large oven-safe skillet works, though you may need a few extra minutes of bake time. But avoid anything much smaller or the pasta will overflow as the cheese bubbles up.

Why does my baked pasta always come out dry?

The most common reason is overcooking the pasta before baking, because it soaks up all the sauce in the oven. So reserving that cup of pasta water and stirring it in gives you a moisture cushion that keeps things saucy.