The best way to cure a homesick heart is eat a home-cooked meal, something that reminds you of home and love.
But being home for spring break meant those meals were easily available. Real Italian food with fresh and homemade ingredients would be consumed, and you would be crazy if you think I did not take advantage of that.
Sometimes you just need comfort food, and warm, baked pasta is one of the best comfort foods around. The sauces are thick and creamy and satisfy your stomach and heart.
My favorite recipe on the menu for the week was baked rigatoni, so I thought I would bring some Italian love to you and share it with the masses.
Mixing fresh mozzarella with fresh spaghetti sauce created a cheesy, rich pasta concoction that was perfect on the palate and warmed the part of me that loves home.
The best part about this recipe is how quick the preparation time is. Within 15 minutes, everything will be baking in the oven.
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 – 1lb. box of rigatoni noodles
5 cups of spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce (I used sauce with meat, but that is optional.)
1 – 8 ounce ball of fresh mozzarella cheese
½ cup of grated parmesan cheese (For a richer, cheesier taste, use grated parmesan, asiago, and romano cheese. These three are sold in one container and pre-mixed.)
Here’s what you’ll do:
1. I used my family’s recipe for red sauce, but jarred sauce will work fine. To richen the sauce you’ll need parsley, oregano, bay leaves, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and oregano. Add about ½ teaspoon of each spice to richen the sauce and make it taste better. Simply warm the sauce on the stove and add these spices. Warming the sauce with these ingredients will give it the richer taste you desire.
2. Cook the rigatoni noodles by following the recipe on the back of the box.
3. While the noodles are cooking, grate the ball of mozzarella cheese. Use the area that will produce shredded cheese on your cheese grater.
4. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the 5 cups of sauce and mix.
5. Slowly add in the mozzarella cheese, only a portion at a time, and stir until it is mixed in consistently. The deep red sauce should be changed into a lighter color. The cheese will create a creamy consistency, and the sauce will be thicker.
6. Slowly stir in the grated parmesan cheese mixture.
7. Transfer the baked rigatoni to a large casserole baking dish.
8. Bake the rigatoni at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the rigatoni is warm and the sauce is clinging to the noodles.
