Cheesy Rigatoni Pepper Bake
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 599
- Total Fat
- 26
- Saturated Fat
- 11
- Carbohydrates
- 67
- Dietary Fiber
- 10
- Sugar
- 15
- Protein
- 28
- Cholesterol
- 52
- Sodium
- 1178
- Total: 1 hr 45 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 45 min
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely diced
Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
Two 8-ounce balls fresh mozzarella, cut into large cubes
9 tablespoons grated Parmesan
One 1-pound bag mini sweet peppers, stemmed and halved
Peppy Salad, recipe follows
Peppy Salad:
One 5-ounce bag baby spring lettuce leaves
1 cup halved pepperoncini
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced
1 mini red pepper, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions; drain and set aside to cool.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste until everything is mixed together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Layer in half of the cooked noodles, half of the cubed mozzarella, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and half of the sweet peppers. Top with half of the remaining sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining noodles and mozzarella, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and the remaining peppers and sauce. Top with the remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate.)
- Cover and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the peppers are cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Peppy Salad.
Peppy Salad:
- Add the lettuce, pepperoncini, tomatoes, onion and mini pepper to a bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon, then sprinkle over some salt and pepper and toss.