Description
This Lasagna Casserole is an easy and delicious twist on traditional lasagna, combining rigatoni pasta with a savory Italian sausage sauce and creamy ricotta mixture, topped with melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for family dinners or meal prepping, it offers the comforting flavors of classic lasagna without the fuss of layering noodles.
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
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: 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.
- Prepare Sauce: Brown the Italian sausage in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, breaking it into small pieces. When browned, add the diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt. Cook until the onion is softened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Pour in the pasta sauce, bring to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Make Ricotta Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine the whisked eggs, ricotta cheese, kosher salt, chopped fresh parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix until well combined.
- Combine and Assemble: Add the prepared meat sauce to the cooked rigatoni pasta and stir to combine thoroughly. Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into the greased baking dish. Distribute the ricotta mixture evenly into 6 separate mounds across the pasta. Gently stir a bit of the ricotta mixture into the casserole to create pockets of cheese. Sprinkle the remaining 3 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in the preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the pasta is bubbling and the cheese is fully melted.
- Optional Broil: For a darker golden-brown cheese topping, turn on the broil setting during the last 1 to 2 minutes of baking. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
Notes
- Use good quality cheese by freshly grating Parmesan and shredding mozzarella from a block for better flavor and texture.
- It may be difficult to spread the ricotta mixture evenly; placing multiple dollops in different areas works well to create pockets of cheesy goodness.
- If you want a nicely browned top, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking, but watch closely to avoid burning.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
