Ricotta Stuffed Rigatoni Pie

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF and rub olive oil on the bottoms and the side of a 9” springform pan and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Cut two long strips of parchment paper slightly taller than the height of the springform pan and line the sides of the springform pan. This makes it easier to unmold the pasta dish at the end, and this step is optional.

Step 2

Heat oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Once hot, add ground sausage and beef and cook until no pink remains, about 7 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and tomato pasta. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Then add the tomato sauce, and water to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer, loosely covered, for 15-20 minutes. The sauce should be thickened.

Step 3

Prepare ricotta mixture: In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper until fully combined. Transfer the filling to a plastic piping bag either with a piping tip smaller than the hole of the rigatoni pasta, or a plastic storage bag with a small hole snipped off of the end.

Step 4

Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Do not add oil. Add rigatoni and cook, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—about 2 minutes less than the package instructions state. Drain the pasta through a colander and rinse with cool water until it is no longer hot.

Step 5

One by one, stand up the rigatoni pasta in concentric circles in the prepared springform pan. Pack them so that they all stand up vertically on their own but not so tightly that there is no space between them.

Step 6

Fill each rigatoni tube with just enough ricotta filling to reach the top. Place 1 cup of meat sauce on top, and smooth it over with a spatula so that the sauce fills the gaps in between the rigatoni. Place another 1 cup of meat sauce and smooth it over. Top with 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.

Step 7

Lightly oil a piece of aluminum foil, and loosely cover the top of the springform pan.

Step 8

Bake in the center of the oven for 35 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden on the outer edges and beginning to darken in spots towards the center. The middle of the rigatoni pie should have reached an internal temperature of at least 165ºF.

Step 9

Let the pie cool for at least 20-30 minutes before unmolding.

Step 10

To unmold, run a knife around the edges of the pie. Unsnap the springform pan and carefully remove the sides of the pan. If the rigatoni pie is still steaming hot, wait a bit longer to cut in to keep the pie structure intact.

Step 11

Slice and serve with warmed additional meat sauce, and garnish the pie with additional parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.