INGREDIENTS:
- 1 Ib Italian sausage
- 1 jar Botticelli Traditional Sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 15oz container Ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons basil, minced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Fresh parmesan, for serving
- Fresh basil, for garnish
PREPARATION:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and prep an 8-inch springform or false bottom pan by lightly greasing it with olive oil and lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high. Add a tablespoon of olive oil then add the Italian sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking up the chunks into small pieces, until cooked through. Stir in the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute. Add in the Botticelli sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the rigatoni. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Strain and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, basil, salt and pepper until fully combined. Transfer to a piping bag.
- One by one, stand up the rigatoni pasta in the prepared pan. Pack them in tight enough that they don’t fall over but with enough room for the sauce to sink in. Pipe a bit of the ricotta filing into each rigatoni until up soone to eby same car aches, smoothing it over so i ls in the gaps. Top with another layer of sauce followed by the mozzarella cheese.
- Lightly cover with an oiled piece of foil and let bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, increase the head to 450 & back for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
-
Let cool for 30 minutes before depanning. Top with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan. Enjoy!