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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
This meal was delicious! As others have said, it makes a LOT of food. I made the sausage, sauce and pasta in my 6-quart Staub cocotte and then transferred it to a baking dish and it all fit without any problem. I swapped the chicken sausage out for spicy pork sausage and it was just perfect for a snowy Colorado night. Looking forward to the leftovers tomorrow!
Thank you so much for trying this one, Meagan! I am really glad it turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
This recipe was already going to be a winner in my book considering it can be done in one pot (my lodge dutch oven), but the flavors were really incredible! I was skeptical about the pesto, but the spiciness of those herbs really matched the heat from the italian sausage and made it different than your standard red sauce. I also thought I’d miss the cream you normally find in a vodka sauce, but it didn’t need it! I followed the recipe exactly with two minor changes: I used 1 lb of spicy pork sausage as that was all I could find, and I skipped out on the fontina cheese and just used some 1 cup of shredded parm I had. If you’re cooking for two like I was, please note that this makes an enormous amount of food!
I am really glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lauren! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
So easy to make with lots of flavor! I accidently added 2 teaspoons of rosemary and was a bit nervous….it was perfect. I did not use vodka, just broth, so possibly the extra rosemary gave it a bit more punch. Will make it again that way. Saved this to my recipe notes and will reommend to others. Keep those recipe’s coming. I’m 45 and love to cook. Been in a food rut recently and love all the new ideas. I honestly haven’t tried one of your recipes that I wouldn’t use again.
Hi Dianne! I am so happy to hear that you have been loving my recipes, thank you so much!! I hope you continue to enjoy them! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
Thanks for this awesome recipe! Since I’m making this recipe vegetarian, can I add chili flakes or something else to make the sauce spicy! Don’t want to miss out on the spice, since we love it. Thanks!
Can you prepare it up the baking point then freeze or refrigerate and bake a few days later? Thx !
Hey Helen,
Yes, that is totally fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is the best baked pasta recipe I’ve ever had! I’ve made it too many times to count! Thank you!!!
Thank you so much Perrye! xTieghan
Wow! So yummy and SO easy. Great for a week night meal when you’re craving comfort food without a ton of cooking. Loved that it was all one pot and boiling the noodles in the sauce was so delicious. Looking forward to leftovers. This will be a staple in my kitchen!
Yes!! So happy this recipe turned out so well for you Natalie!! xTieghan
We loved this! I used medium Italian pork sausage and chicken broth, and sprinkled a little parmesan cheese on top. This will become a part of our regular rotation.
Thank you so much Trang! xTieghan
What a great combination of flavors! This is such a hearty and satisfying meal. I ended up buying ready made pesto for the first time ever and it wasn’t bad at all. (I got Filippo Berio.) I cook gluten free and the pasta fell apart just a bit so next time I’ll adjust the time. Be sure and use a large pot as this is a lot of food. So good!
Thank you so much Alja! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! Which kind of GF pasta did you use? xTieghan
I am on the hunt for a delicious pasta bake for in-laws coming to town soon, and I think I found the one! I am needing to make it a day in advanced – will this recipe work for that / any adjustment tips for making it a day in advanced? Thank you so much! 🙂
Hey Gina,
I would just make up until the baking point, cover and keep in the fridge. When you are ready to serve remove from the fridge and bake as directed. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Mine came out super runny. We’re you supposed to drain the tomatoes?
Hey Wendy,
So sorry your dish was runny. I do not drained the tomatoes because I used crushed tomatoes:) I am wondering if you adjusted the recipe at all? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi! I am hoping to make this for a friend who recently had a baby.. Could I freeze after step 2 so that all she has to do is heat in oven? Thanks!
Hey Alexis,
I would freeze after step 3! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So very good. The whole family loved it.
Amazing! Thank you Stephanie! xTieghan
Hi
What brand of spicy chicken sausage did you use in this recipe.
Hey Jackie
I got my spicy chicken sausage from Whole Foods! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was amazing!! I had spinach so I subbed that instead of kale. My pasta took longer than the recommended 8-10 mins so I just kept adding water little by little to make sure it didn’t get too dried out. I would 100% make this again, adding more pesto because I feel like that flavor got lost a little.
I am SO glad this turned out so well for you!! Thank you Heather! xTieghan