Baked Rigatoni a la Vincenzo
Quick & Easy!
Well, folks now and then ask me for advice on preparing a nice Italian dish without much hassle. Truth is, a meal isn’t necessarily any better because a cook spent a lot of time on it. Quite the contrary – my favorite rustic dishes aren’t big productions at all. But, they satisfy!
So my favorite quick and easy Italian dish is my own special spin on Baked Rigatoni. Prep time is short and and cooking time is 50-55 minutes. This recipe will have you enjoying a fine meal in no time!
Baked Rigatoni a la Vincenzo
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rigatoni (I like Barilla, but any brand will do)
- 2 28 oz cans of Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup of Parmesan, or about the same amount of Shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Kosher Salt, Pepper, and some crushed Red Peppers.
1. Heat up your oven to 400 degrees.
2. While the oven is warming up, get a nice medium sized baking dish. Place the 1 lb of uncooked rigatoni into the baking dish, and pour about 1/2 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the pasta. Let it sit for about 15 minutes.
3. After the Rigatoni has absorbed some of the olive oil, open the two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes and pour all over the pasta, covering the rigatoni completely.
4. Sprinkle some pepper and kosher salt on top of the pasta and tomatoes, to taste.
5. Cover the baking dish with some aluminum foil (ok) or parchment paper (much better). Place into the oven for about 55 minutes.
6. Check on it after 10 minutes and poke around with an oversized fork or spoon. Repeat every 5-10 minutes or so until you get to the 50 minute mark.
7. At the 50 minute mark, take the tray out of the oven and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese (or the shredded mozzarella) on top of the pasta. Mix it up just a bit with the oversized fork or spoon, place the foil or parchment back on the coking dish, and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. This is a dish best served hot! Sprinkle some more cheese to taste, and for those that like a little spark, that’s what the crushed red pepper is for!
Serve with some salad, bread, and red wine! Enjoy!
Also of interest:
Looks really good! I will be trying this recipe very soon!
MMMM….these sounds SO yummy and it’s so simple. It’s a must try recipe. Thanks!
I made this as soon as you posted it and the baked rigitaoni is out of site delicious. I make it almost weekly now….My whole family loves it and nary a morsel left over! Thanks and all I can do is beg for more easy delicious Italian recipe dishes.
Vinnie Vegas:
I’m still thanking you for this delicious dish recipe. I make it almost once a week now and it is a hit with all my family members. I made it last evening and I had to fight for a bite! All gone now! ;-)
Glad you enjoy it so much! Mmmmmm!
Hi VV,
And it’s still a family favorite! Going to make it again today! ;-)
Thanks for the recipe…I must have done something wrong because the pasta was either crunchy (underdone) or smooshy…just not right all around. While I like the simplicity, I think I”ll stick to a more traditional recipe next time. Appreciate you sharing yours though! =)
Heather, sorry it didn’t work out for you. I get a lot of positive feedback on it. Thanks for trying it, though, and good luck! :-)
I think the last person left it in for 55 min and never mixed it up. I followed the simple steps and it came out absolutely perfect! Delicious!