Baked Rigatoni

Cheesy, gooey baked rigatoni with a swirl of a luscious bechamel sauce throughout.

Ingredients

• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 1 pound Italian sausage

• 1 onion, grated

• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 2 tablespoons Nocellara del Belice Olive Oil 

• ½ teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 28 oz can whole tomatoes

• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

• ¼ cup red wine

• 1 cup mozzarella

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 1 cup milk

• Pinch of nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in sauce pot and add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the Italian sausage and brown. Add the wine and reduce slightly then add the tomatoes, breaking the whole tomatoes apart with your spoon. Add the bay leaf and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until slightly under al dente.

4. While the pasta and sauce cook make the bechamel. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for about 1 minute then whisk in the milk, add a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 minutes, remove from heat.

5. Drain the pasta and add to sauce. Transfer the pasta to a casserole dish then swirl in the bechamel and top with mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.

7. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Takes 1 hour 15 minutes

Serves 4-6