Cherry blossoms and Magnolia trees are in bloom and the days are getting longer, but April is a fickle month. Hail, rain storms, warm temperatures, chilly nights, it can be downright confusing. Do I carry an umbrella with me at all times or do I layer up so that I can quickly layer down when the sun starts beaming down?And while I'm gladly stuffing my face with asparagus at any opportunity, I'm also taking comfort in a baked bowl of this pasta & sausage dish. I had seen this recipe a while back over at Smitten Kitchen, but felt that making my own meatballs and bechamel sauce would be just too much. While I'm well versed in making bechamel sauce (it was my job to always whisk the sauce as a young girl cooking with my mom), making meatballs isn't something that I love to do. So I went with a shortcut and used sausage. It's perfect because it's already seasoned and when it's sliced and then cooked, it turns into a little meatball of sausage!
I also added in some homemade leftover tomato sauce to help cut the richness. Don't want to use sausage? Try some meaty sliced & sauteed portabello mushrooms instead and go ahead and add in your favorite spices and herbs. Vegan? Trade the dairy for soy milk and vegan margarine, skipping the cheese.
The result was exactly what I was looking for - as comforting as a warm hug (which is coincidentally what I got from my husband when I made this).
Quick Baked Rigatoni with Sausage
(inspired by Smitten Kitchen)
4 spicy Italian sausages
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
bechamel sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper
500 gram bag of rigatoni or other short pasta
1 cup tomato sauce (from a jar or homemade)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Slice raw sausages into 1 inch bits and fry in a non stick skillet over med-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is done, about 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside.
3. In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. When bubbling, add in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well between each addition until smooth. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue to stir until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400F. Pour the sausage mixture into the pasta and pour in half of the bechamel mixture. Stir well to coat. Butter a 9x13" baking dish and add in the pasta/sausage mixture. Pour over the remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Quick Baked Rigatoni with Sausage(inspired by Smitten Kitchen)
4 spicy Italian sausages
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
bechamel sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
pinch nutmeg
salt & pepper
500 gram bag of rigatoni or other short pasta
1 cup tomato sauce (from a jar or homemade)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1. Slice raw sausages into 1 inch bits and fry in a non stick skillet over med-high heat. Add in the onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is done, about 15 - 20 minutes. Set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and set aside.
3. In a small pot, melt butter over medium heat. When bubbling, add in flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking well between each addition until smooth. Add in salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue to stir until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400F. Pour the sausage mixture into the pasta and pour in half of the bechamel mixture. Stir well to coat. Butter a 9x13" baking dish and add in the pasta/sausage mixture. Pour over the remaining bechamel sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
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