Five Cheese Rigatoni Recipes

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni according to package directions. , Preheat oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Swiss, fontina, mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup Romano cheeses until melted. , Drain rigatoni; stir in cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions, salt. Cook until no longer white and starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook about 1 minute. Add chili flakes and blended tomato sauce. Bring to a simmer; adjust heat to medium to medium-low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes (5 minutes from doneness).
• Add about 2/3 of the basil to the sauce. Stir in butter. When butter melts, add cheese in 3 increments.
• Drain pasta; transfer to sauce. Stir until rigatoni are evenly coated with sauce. Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil and a dusting of grated cheese.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; return to pot. Cool slightly., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour and salt until smooth; gradually whisk in milk and water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat., Add eggs to pasta, tossing to coat. Divide mixture between two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Layer each dish with one can tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and half of the white sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until a thermometer reads 160°, 30-35 minutes. Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375°. Cover casserole with foil; bake 40 minutes. Uncover; bake until a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, 7-10 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain; transfer to a bowl., In same stockpot, cook and crumble sausage with red pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Add cream; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low heat until sauce thickens slightly, 5-8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, goat cheese, egg and seasonings., Stir rigatoni into meat sauce. Spread 3 cups into each of two greased 11x7-in. baking dishes. Top each with half of cheese mixture, then half of remaining pasta mixture., Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheeses are melted, about 5 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with basil. Freeze option: Prepare casseroles without mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; freeze cheeses separately in resealable plastic freezer bags. Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casseroles as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. If desired, sprinkle with basil.

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package directions; drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water.
• Return pasta to pot, and toss with goat cheese and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, and add some of the reserved pasta water as desired. Sprinkle with preferred topping, and serve.