RISE & SHINE KAUT43 OKC

3.21.17

So after the last three weeks of recipes on the In The Kitchen With Scotty cooking segment of Rise and Shine a few of you have asked for something a little less…. “involved”, and more easy to prepare. I did a little research, figured out some flavor combinations, and came back with what I think is a delicious version of rigatoni pie. The basil may be replaced with any herb or aromatic you see fit. The Italian sausage can be easily replaced with ground turkey or your favorite meat replacement if cruising in the vegan lane.

Rigatoni pie has been filling up my social media thread for awhile, so I thought I ‘d take a crack at it. It has the appeal of lasagne, looks “involved” but really isn’.; Any home-cook would be proud to serve this.

Happy spring, and I hope that you enjoy!

Rigatoni Pie

For The Ricotta Filling

15 ounces whole ricotta cheese

Basil and egg puree with the ricotta waiting to be mixed in.

4 ounces (2-3 cups) fresh basil leaves

1 whole large egg

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

In a blender puree the basil and egg to a smooth paste, and mix in the red pepper flakes. Pour into a bowl containing the ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Mix thoroughly and chill.

For The The Rest

Start stacking the pasta

1 pound box dry rigatoni

1 jar prepared marinara sauce

1 pound Italian sausage

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

2 cups Shredded Italian Cheese blend

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook to al dente. Don’t cook soft as it will be hard to make the pasta stand up.
Heat a medium sauce pan, adding a bit of olive oil. Add the diced onion and sauce to soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic, and the ground Italian sausage. Brown the sausage, drain off any excess grease, and add 3/4 of the jar of marinara sauce. Mix in and set aside.
In a 8” round springform pan add the remaining marinara sauce to the bottom of the pan. Begins standing up the ricotta pasta, starting with the edges and working your way to the center. Fill completely and fit as tightly as you can. Fill in all the gaps!
Fill a squeeze bottle, pastry bag with small tip, or in a ziplock bag with a small snip out a bottom corner, with the ricotta cheese mixture. Whatever you use to fill up, make sure the hole is large enough to squeeze out the contents into the upright pasta.
Fill the inside ofeach rigatoni tube with basil ricotta cheese blend. This will balance the pasta and hopefully keep the pie tighter when cutting.
Spoon the sausage ragu over the top of the pasta a little at a time, gently tapping the entire pan on the counter to “sink” the cheese filling and the meat ragu into the gaps. Top the entire pie with the cheese evenly.
Bake in a 375 approximately 20 minute or until melted and golden brown. Pull for the oven and let the pie rest at least 20 minutes. Gently rim the side of the springform pan with a knife to loosen the side. Unbuckle the spring form and release the sides. Cut the pie as your would any pie and serve warm. See, easy? Enjoy