Description
This Lasagna Casserole is a comforting and delicious Italian-inspired dish featuring rigatoni pasta baked with a savory Italian sausage tomato sauce and layers of creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. It combines the classic flavors of lasagna in a simple, easy-to-assemble casserole format perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 10 oz rigatoni
Sauce
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 24 oz pasta sauce
Ricotta Mixture
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook pasta: Cook the rigatoni in salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a 4-quart saucepan, brown the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces. Once browned, add diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook until the onion softens, about 4-6 minutes. Stir in the pasta sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Prepare ricotta mixture: In a bowl, combine the whisked eggs, ricotta, kosher salt, chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Mix until smooth and well combined.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the prepared meat sauce to the cooked rigatoni and stir to coat evenly.
- Assemble the casserole: Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into the greased baking dish. Spoon the ricotta mixture in 6 mounds evenly distributed on top of the pasta. Roughly stir some of the ricotta into the pasta for marbled pockets of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 3 cups of mozzarella evenly over the top.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the pasta is bubbling and the cheese is fully melted.
- Optional broil finish: If desired, turn the oven to broil and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes to achieve a golden brown bubbly cheese top. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your hearty and cheesy lasagna casserole.
Notes
- Use good quality cheese by freshly grating Parmesan and shredding mozzarella from a block for better flavor and softer cheese texture.
- Instead of spreading, drop the ricotta mixture in dollops for easier assembly; random pockets of ricotta throughout the casserole tastes great.
- To get a golden-brown cheese topping, use the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of baking but watch closely to avoid burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
