Shelly's Recipe

BAKED RIGATONI

Category: Pasta - Baked

1 lb rigatoni, cooked al dente
Tiny meatballs, optional
Marinara sauce
Shredded mozzarella
Grated Romano cheese

Ricotta mixture
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen chopped, thawed and squeezed dry
Fresh ricotta
1 egg
A healthy dose of grated cheese
Salt and pepper

Buttered the inside of a 13 x 9 baking pan, spread homemade marinara sauce on the bottom and then 1/3 of the rigatoni, then with a make shift piping bag I added dollops of ricotta all around the layer of pasta, the tiny meatballs, if using, as well as good sprinkling of shredded mozzarella, next added the grated Romano cheese all over. Repeat 2 more times starting all over with the sauce again. Ready for the oven, lay a piece of foil on top and bake around 30 minutes at 350, last 15 minutes remove the foil.

The ricotta mixture was made by folding chopped spinach into the ricotta along with egg, grated cheese, salt and pepper.

NOTES: I like to keep my baked rigatoni a little lighter by not covering the top with a layer of mozzarella, I think there's plenty inside, but that's just my preference.

Marinara Sauce: Using 6-8 cloves of chopped garlic sauteed in about 1/4 cup of olive oil, sometimes I add a small onion, sometimes I don't, to that I add two 28 oz cans of San Marzano whole tomatoes that have been squished beforehand, and fresh basil, lots of it! Let it simmer for 20 minutes or so.