Description
Baked Rigatoni Fra Diavolo with Sausage and Zucchini is a hearty one‑dish pasta bake featuring rigatoni in a spicy tomato sauce with sausage, zucchini, fresh herbs and plenty of melted mozzarella and Parmesan. Comfort food at its finest.
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked rigatoni pasta
- 2 large zucchini, chopped into ¼‑inch rounds
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28‑ounce) can crushed tomatoes with basil
- ¾ cup white wine or chicken broth
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound mozzarella (½ shredded, ½ cut into 1‑inch cubes)
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and grease a 9 × 13‑inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a skillet, heat ¼ cup olive oil over medium‑high heat; sauté zucchini until golden (≈6 minutes). Remove and blot dry.
- In the same skillet, brown the sausage for 5‑7 minutes, breaking it into pieces. Drain excess fat.
- Add remaining ¼ cup olive oil; cook onion ~8 minutes until soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes for 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and wine (or broth). Season with salt and pepper. Simmer ~10 minutes. Add basil, mint, and parsley.
- Return sausage and zucchini to pan and stir together.
- Cook the rigatoni for 6‑7 minutes (very al dente). Drain and immediately mix into the sauce.
- Pour the pasta‑sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with shredded and cubed mozzarella. Bake ~30 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling. Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve hot.
Notes
- Swap zucchini for mushrooms, bell peppers or eggplant for different texture.
- Add more crushed red pepper flakes or chili oil for extra heat.
- Use turkey sausage or omit meat for a vegetarian version.
- Stir in ricotta right before baking for a creamy layer.
- Fire‑roasted canned tomatoes can add a deeper flavour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian‑American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 8 servings
- Calories: ≈550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 920mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
