Cheesy Baked Pasta So Good, You'll Want to Freeze It for Later!

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese is lower in fat and calories while maintaining creaminess.

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Turkey sausage is leaner, while ground beef is often less expensive.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella has fewer calories, while provolone can be less costly.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free option, while pecorino is often cheaper than parmesan.

Start with bacon fat in a pot.

Add chopped onion and hot banana pepper, cooking until translucent.

Remove sausage from casing and crumble into the pot, cooking until browned.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add sliced and quartered mushrooms to the pot.

Squeeze in one clove of garlic and stir.

Pour in white wine and simmer to reduce the liquid.

Add about a quarter cup of chopped Kalamata olives.

Reduce the liquid down by two thirds before adding crushed tomatoes.

Add crushed tomatoes to the pot and let simmer while cooking pasta.

Boil salted water and add rigatoni, cooking until al dente or slightly less.

Tear fresh basil into the sauce while the pasta cooks.

Drain the pasta and mix it with ricotta cheese in a bowl.

Combine some of the sauce with the pasta and ricotta mixture.

Split the pasta mixture between two Le Creuset baking dishes.

Tear fresh basil over the pasta in the dishes.

Chop mozzarella cheese and add a third on top of the pasta before adding sauce.

Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta and top with the rest of the mozzarella cheese.

Wrap one dish in plastic wrap and foil for freezing, and place the other in the oven at 350°F for 30-45 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens