Three Cheese Pesto Pasta Bake with Sausage
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
35 mins
-
Total Time
55 mins
-
Servings
6 people
-
Calories
980 kcal
-
Course
Main Course
-
Cuisine
American
Three Cheese Pesto Pasta Bake with Sausage
Description
Three Cheese Pesto Pasta Bake with Sausage starts with preparing a béchamel sauce enriched with white wine, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and two cheeses: fontina and Parmesan. Lightly beaten egg is stirred in to bind the sauce. Rigatoni pasta is cooked al dente and combined with sautéed spicy Italian sausage and spinach, which wilts gently.
The dish is layered with ricotta and basil pesto, adding creamy and herbal notes. Once assembled, it bakes at 375°F in a sprinkled parmesan-coated pan, allowing the flavors to meld and the cheese topping to brown slightly, creating a rich and comforting pasta bake.
The recipe allows for easy adaptation to vegetarian diets by simply omitting the sausage. Fresh basil and Parmesan garnish add brightness to the finished dish.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine dry
- 3 ½ cups milk whole
- nutmeg pinch
- cayenne pepper pinch
- salt kosher salt and freshly cracked
- black pepper kosher salt and freshly cracked
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 cup fontina cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups Parmesan Cheese grated, divided
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta extra large
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces spicy Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 6 cups spinach
- ½ cup basil pesto
- 1 cup ricotta cheese fresh
- basil fresh basil and parmesan to garnish
- Parmesan Cheese fresh basil and parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9in springform pan with cooking spray and dust lightly with a handful of grated parmesan cheese and set aside
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, once bubbling add in the flour and whisk continuously for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Add in the white wine followed by the milk, and cook for until thick, about 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne. Remove from heat and stir in the egg, fontina and 1 cup parmesan. Place over super low heat to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, add olive oil and crumble in the sausage cooking until browned 5-6 minutes, remove sausage to a bowl and toss in the spinach stirring just to wilt, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Combine with the cooked sausage and crushed red pepper and set aside.
- Stir ricotta and pesto together, set aside.
- Combine the cooked pasta and the cheese sauce, layer ⅓ of it into the prepared pan followed by ⅓ of the ricotta mixture and ⅓ of the spinach and sausage mixture. Repeat so you have three layers ending with sausage and spinach. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup parmesan cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven till golden brown 35-40 min. Remove and let sit for about 30 mins. Remove the side from the springform pan sprinkle with torn basil and more parmesan.
Notes
- You can omit the sausage to make this pasta bake vegetarian with minimal adjustments.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 980 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 980kcal | 49% |
| Carbohydrates | 75g | 25% |
| Protein | 41g | 82% |
| Fat | 55g | 85% |
| Saturated Fat | 25g | 125% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 4g | 24% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 16g | 80% |
| Trans Fat | 0.3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 163mg | 54% |
| Sodium | 1215mg | 51% |
| Potassium | 784mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 10g | 20% |
| Vitamin A | 4385IU | 88% |
| Vitamin C | 9mg | 10% |
| Calcium | 697mg | 70% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
