Italian sausage is known simply as "sausage" in classic Italian cuisine, with the only question being whether it is sweet or hot. When combined with marinara sauce, rigatoni and a variety of cheeses, it makes a hearty casserole that is flavorful and relatively inexpensive to make. However, Italian sausage can contain up to 35 percent fat, so avoiding this dish or consuming it only in moderation is best for dieters.
Basic Ingredients
A classic rigatoni sausage bake needs only five ingredients: macaroni, sausage, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. Although you can use any type of tubular macaroni, the type of sausage and tomato sauce you choose has the biggest flavor impact on the final dish. Sweet sausage lends a robust, fennel-infused flavor, while hot sausage gives it a spicy kick. Whether store-bought or homemade, using a robust marinara sauce creates a dish well-suited for a hearty cold-weather meal. For a cool summertime treat, make a simple, light tomato sauce using fresh tomatoes. A swirl of ricotta cheese throughout the casserole melds all of the flavors together, and the mozzarella topping not only gives it additional flavor, it helps to seal in the moisture and keep the macaroni from drying out.
Optional Ingredients
You can add vegetables like onions or bell peppers to the dish for some extra nutritional value, or follow the lead of "Eating Well" magazine and add mushrooms to the casserole. Fresh herbs like oregano, basil and parsley, are a welcome addition that give a slightly brighter flavor profile to the completed casserole. Use Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese either in the casserole or mixed with breadcrumbs for a topping. But proceed with caution, as both Parmesan and Romano cheese tend to add salty flavors which, when combined with the natural saltiness of the sausage, can overpower the dish.
Preparation
Cook all of the ingredients, including the sausage, sauce and macaroni, before combining them as a casserole, then the final baking of the dish is simply to melt the cheese, allow the flavors to come together and heat the casserole. Common preparation includes cutting the cooked sausage links into thin slices, but some recipes, including Kaboose.com's simple version, dictates removing the sausage from the casings and crumbling the meat.
Nutrition
Depending on the specific ingredients used, a dinner-size serving of rigatoni-sausage bake can contain roughly 400 calories, with 12 g of fat and 24 mg of cholesterol. Make your casserole healthier by using whole-wheat or protein-enriched macaroni, Italian sausage made from turkey instead of pork, and cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese. Cooked Italian sausage contains roughly one-third less fat than raw sausage, and the cooking method you use can up that amount even more. Pan-cooking is the traditional method, but the sausage cooks in its own fat, so try grilling your Italian sausage or cooking it in the oven on a broiler pan that allows the fat to drip away.
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