This recipe is the epitome of Italian Comfort Food meets warm Fall Flavors. The subtle pumpkin & spices add such an incredible depth of flavor to the tomato sauce and a light richness with the fresh cheese and cream. Perfect for feeding 6-8 people and the leftovers freeze great! What I love most is that the sauce has these big savory chunks of Roasted Pumpkin and Whole Tomatoes that fill the Rigatoni, so every bite is cheesy and filled with so much flavor!
Ingredients:
1 Lb. Dried Rigatoni Pasta
1 Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 Small Sugar Pie Pumpkin
1 Medium Yellow Onion
4-5 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 Dried Bay Leaves
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
1 Ball of Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese for garnishing
Fresh Basil
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut Pumpkin into 4 quarters and lay insides up on a sheet pan. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast for 45-50 minutes until pumpkin is fork tender. Let cool.
While the Pumpkin is cooling, in a dutch oven or large sauce pot, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium low heat.
Add sliced onions and cook for about 5-10 minutes until they become translucent in color, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
Peel skin off of the pumpkin and discard.
Add whole tomatoes and their juices, pumpkin and spices to the onions in the pot. With a wooden spoon or fork, mash the ingredients together into a chunky sauce.
Next, add sugar and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 1 hour+ for flavors to marry. Once, sauce has simmered, add heavy cream and remove from heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp. Salt. Cook pasta as directed for al dente texture.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine cooked pasta, enough sauce to fully coat (about 4-5 cups) and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix well and put into oven safe casserole dish.
Slice Fresh Mozzarella into 1/4" thin slices and top pasta. Bake for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and browning on top.
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with Fresh Basil and more Parmesan Cheese.
Tips about this recipe:
This Pasta Bake freezes beautifully. You can freeze the sauce itself or the entire casserole before baking. Leftovers can also be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can substitute any dry short noodle (i.e Penne, Ziti, Large Shells etc.) for the Rigatoni. I prefer rigatoni because of its thicker texture and it holds the sauce well.
Serving this dish with meat is always an option. Italian Sausage is great, just add browned, fully cooked sausage to the ingredients when you are mixing before baking.
Please let me know how you like this ultimate Fall Comfort meal! Post your comments and feedback here and pictures on my social media pages with hashtag #alliesfeast I can't wait to hear!!
-Alexandra
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