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This One Pot Spicy Pesto Cheese Baked Rigatoni is for nights when you’re craving Italian, but also need something simple and easy to prepare. Rigatoni pasta baked in a spicy tomato pesto vodka sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! The secret to this one-pot pasta? A little Italian chicken sausage and plenty of cheese on top. This is a terrific fall and winter dish to serve any night of the week. But is equally awesome for your next Saturday night dinner party. It’s delicious and looks pretty on any table…not to mention everyone LOVES a GOOD baked pasta. This dish will be your new go-to when serving family and friends.
Serious question for you all? Are you cooking for Thanksgiving this year? Are you lined up to bring a side dish to your family’s meal? Or do you have nothing to do with actually cooking the Thanksgiving Day dinner? I’m so curious to know because I feel like only about one and every five people are actually cooking on Thanksgiving. The rest are either attending a family gathering and bringing a side dish/dessert, or just attending and not worrying about the food.
Am I right? Or no? I ask because every November I always see so many Thanksgiving recipes, but never many recipes for all the other days within this cozy month. Bottom line…we all LOVE Thanksgiving, but we also have to eat some good meals leading up to T-day too!
And that’s where I come in. I’ve made it a point each year to not only share Thanksgiving dishes but easy dinners too. Dinners like this one-pot pasta that I love so much. It’s such a busy time, so keeping things simple (and delicious) is my current goal.
My family loves any and all pasta, but give them something saucy, a little spicy, baked, and cheesy too? That’s their meal!
My favorite part about a pasta dish though is its simplicity. And the fact that every person in my family will not only eat this recipe but really enjoy it too. When you have picky eaters this is music to your ears.
Here are the details.
Start off by making the sauce. It’s very important with this recipe to use a large pot, bigger than you’d think you might need. Because we are making the sauce and cooking the pasta together, you’ll need extra room. So be sure to use your largest pot available.
Next, the sauce. It’s made spicy with ground Italian chicken sausage, canned tomatoes, vodka (for best flavor), herbs, and pesto…to keep things creamy and cheesy too. Now I want to say, if Vodka’s not your thing, I totally understand. In this case, just swap the vodka for chicken broth or even just water. Either one will work totally fine and your sauce will still be great.
BUT, if you do drink or you’re ok with using alcohol for cooking, you must add vodka to your sauce. The vodka adds a sharp bite that helps to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes. When used in small amounts, the vodka will boost and intensify the aroma of the sauce. The key is to slow simmer the sauce, which will release the flavors and cook out the alcohol. So yes, this is safe to serve to kids!
Moving along…
Since I wanted to keep it quick and simple, I set out to make this a one-pot pasta. What does this mean? Well, it’s simple, everything from making the sauce, to the boiling of the pasta is all done in just one pot on the stove-top before being transferred to the oven to finish baking. If you have oven-safe pots, you don’t even need to transfer the pasta to a baking dish.
Easy, right? YES.
Once the base red sauce has been made, simply add the water and dry pasta right into the red sauce. I know it may seem odd, but trust me, it works. Just bring the mix to a boil and cook until the pasta is al dente. Cooking the pasta together with the sauce only takes a few minutes and saves you from having to break out another pot. Not sure about you guys, but I am all about fewer dishes.
Once the pasta is cooked, simply top with cheese and bake. If you’re cooking with cast iron or stainless steel, you can bake the pasta right in this very same pot. If not, simply transfer the pasta to your favorite baking dish. Either option works just the same!
And about thirty minutes later you’ll have cheesy baked pasta ready for eating….and your kitchen will be semi-clean! But even more importantly, it’s going to smell like an Italian grandma’s house. It’s an amazing aroma, and trust me, this rigatoni tastes even better. Think saucy, but still heavy on the pasta, a touch spicy, with a good amount of seasonings and herbs. The pesto adds fresh flavor and creaminess, and all that cheese on top…well that’s the best part!
Oh, and I forgot to mention the shredded kale that’s stirred into the pasta as well. Delish, and the greens help to balance out all the cheese.
You see, you can’t go wrong with a baked pasta like this. My one tip? Make this dish fancy…ish and serve it topped with fried rosemary and a bottle of red wine. Perfect for these long November and December nights.
If you make this one-pot spicy pesto cheese baked rigatoni, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
One Pot Spicy Pesto Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 668 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot chopped
- 3/4 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup vodka (chicken broth or water also work)
- 3/4 cup basil pesto homemade or store-bought
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary plus fresh rosemary for serving
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 pound dry rigatoni pasta
- 2 cups shredded kale
- 2 cups shredded fontina cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella, torn
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallot and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken sausage and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook another minute. Slowly add the tomatoes, vodka, 1/2 cup pesto, oregano, rosemary, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Then add 2 1/2 cups water, the pasta, and kale. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir frequently until the pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. 3. If needed, transfer the pasta to a baking dish. Top with the fontina cheese, then drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup basil pesto evenly over everything. Add the mozzarella.4. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh rosemary. Enjoy!
Notes
You can find my homemade basil pesto recipe inside this post
This post was originally published on November 14, 2019
Made exactly as written and thought it was excellent. Also made the garlic herb butter wreath and it was also outstanding!
Thank you so much Sarah! xTieghan
Love this recipe! Are there tips on how to prepare it in advance? Is the recommendation to make the sauce ahead of time first and then an hour before serving, throw the pasta in to cook and then bake?
HI! You can fully assemble this, adding the cheese an all, then store in the fridge, then bake when ready. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and I hope you had Merry Christmas! Sorry my response what a bit late! xTieghan
So delicious! I couldn’t find chicken sausage, so I subbed sweet Italian pork sausage and it turned out great! Will plan to make this again ?
Yes! That is so great! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Berklee! xTieghan
I recently began following you on IG and this is the first recipe of yours that I’ve tried. So easy to make and totally delicious! Everyone loved it and has requested that I make more of your recipes. Coming from a foodie family like mine, this is the highest level of praise! Thanks, Tieghan!
Awh you are too kind! Thank you so much Deborah! xTieghan
Is it 2 cans of crushed tomatoes that are 28 oz each or total?
HI! Yes, it is 2 cans of crushed tomatoes that are both 28 oz each. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
My family loved this recipe and I loved how much it made! We are a family of 3 and we had enough for leftovers the next night even with an extra guest for dinner! It was delicious and super easy! I will make it again very soon!!
That is so great! I am so glad this turned out so well for you Patience! xTieghan
Love all your recipes I’ve tried so far!! I substituted spinach for kale and Swiss cheese for the fontina cheese and it was delicious! I’ll definitely make this again.
Thank you Karen! I am so glad to hear that! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Great recipe! So good in fact, that we’re making this a second time within a month – this time for a potluck with vegetarians 🙂 Quick question please: What are your thoughts on adding vs not adding the canned tomato ‘juice’ into the pot with the tomatoes please? Thanks in advance!
HI! I am not sure what ingredient you are referring to. Can you clarify?
I always add the entire can of tomatoes, juice and all. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I so glad you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Wow! I am currently eating this as I write this comment. This is spectacular! I love the flavor combination and how simple it was to make. We will definitely be making this again. 🙂 Thank you!!
Thank you Sharon! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Any suggestions if I can’t use pesto because of a nut allergy? (Pine nuts)
Should I just not use or add something else?
Xo
HI! You can make homemade pesto minus the nuts (just basil, parmesan, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt), or you can use 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil in place of the pesto. I am sure that will be great too. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, I made this for dinner tonight. It was delish
I had everything except vodka so, I used a really good red wine. It was so good. Definitely a keeper. Thanks
I am so glad you loved this Becky! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Dear Tieghan,
This is the first Half Baked Harvest recipe our family has tried and it was a hit in this family of notoriously picky eaters! Making this dish made the whole house smell like an Italian restaurant. With 2 of our girls in college, having the whole family together has become more and more rare, so we wanted to share something special as a meal and this hearty dish was perfect! We too, substituted spinach for kale to save a trip to the grocery store, and are planning to make the vegetarian version with mushrooms for the next potluck with vegetarian friends – MANY thanks for developing and sharing this wonderful recipe!
Awh, I am so glad this was your special dish to share with your family! Also, so glad it turned out so well for you! Thank you! xTieghan
This recipe is absolutely delicious! The basil pesto in the sauce and all of the flavors are hands down amazing. Thanks for sharing
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Dominique! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Super easy and delicious!!
Thank you Jen! xTieghan
I made this tonight, and my family went for seconds. That’s always a great sign for my boys. Thank you for another great recipe. We will make this again.
Thank you Devon! I am so glad everyone enjoyed this one! xTieghan