Hey this is a recipe that everyone LOVED. Everyone. Call it comfort food, but it's also has a ton of protein and I snuck in some veggies... At the end of this post, you'll see Jean-Claude Van Damme dancing in a GIF. Movie recommendation: Kickboxer.
Last night I was going to make regular old spaghetti but I'm glad I saw the rigatoni noodles at Aldi because it gave me an idea to try something new.
That's when I searched up a recipe for rigatoni noodles. It turns out that each pasta dish is named after the noodles that it incorporates. Who knew?
This recipe is really easy and really good. They say that rigatoni is like spaghetti and lasagna combined, which seems to be true. It takes the best and cheapest parts of each dish and makes something new. Here's what I got.
INGREDIENTS:
Rigatoni: Cook the pasta al dente for best results.
Olive Oil: Always my go to oil, especially for italian recipes.
Small Onion: Finely chopped.
Garlic: Mince the garlic.
Zucchini: Chop the zucchini
Ground Beef: Use lean ground beef.
Ground Sausage: Using Italian sausage add a nice bit of spicy flavor (optional)
Italian Seasoning: A great combination of spices and herbs.
Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.
Sauce: Use whatever sauce you love best.
Mozzarella: Use the mozzarella that's right for you. (fresh grated would be even better).
INSTRUCTIONS:
Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9×13 inch baking dish and set aside. In a large pot bring water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions.
Saute: In a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Saute until tender.
Meat: Add in the ground beef and sausage and cook and crumble until no longer pink.
Sauce: Add in the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste, zucchini and marinara sauce. Reduce heat and let simmer.
Pasta: Drain the pasta and return to the large pot. Add the meat sauce to the pot and stir until combined.
Layer: Spread half of the pasta in the bottom of your 9×13 inch dish. Layer with half of the pasta.
Add: Layer with half of the cheeses. Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese.
Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.
(I forgot to bake twice without foil but it still turned out really good). I also didn't have any sausage just ground beef.
Side Note: If you like my knife in the photo, here's a link! https://amzn.to/3romqRT Its a really pretty set. I'll do another post reviewing it. I get monetized if you purchase from my link.
In a big pan, layer the pasta twice with mozzarella in between and on top.
one layer of pasta
one layer of mozzarella
second layer of pasta
final layer of mozzarella.
Then cover it with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
It should come out melty. Add some parmesan on top too. Then bake it a little longer to brown it.
That's it.
I'm giving this one 4 1/2 stars. I think the italian sausage would have taken it to another level though.
Movie Recommendation: Kickboxer
We seriously cracked open some wine with this pasta and watched my favorite old hunk Jean-Claude Van Damme in action. This may be my favorite Damme movie and the severe thunderstorm that came through while watching made it even more cozy.
If you like nostalgic, buttkicking, sweaty, hunky action heros with Asian 80's mentors this film is for you.
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