Best Baked Rigatoni With Red Peppers And Green Olives Recipes

BAKED RIGATONI WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND PEPPER

Baked Rigatoni With Tomatoes, Olives and Pepper image

This baked rigatoni is a grown-up version of macaroni and cheese. The tomato sauce, judiciously spiced with hot red pepper flakes and embellished with diced bright yellow bell pepper and pungent black olives, is easy and straightforward. It keeps for three or four days in the refrigerator, so you can make it ahead, or you can toss it right away with the al dente rigatoni and cheese. Spread the mixture in an oiled baking dish, cover it well and refrigerate. It will be fine there for a day, ready to transfer to the oven when the hungry troops begin to ask what's for dinner. Bake the rigatoni until bubbly, make a green salad to serve alongside and everybody will be happy.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories casseroles, pastas, main course

Time 1h15m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, whole or diced, with juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for oiling baking dish
1 large sweet yellow pepper, cut in 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon sugar
Salt
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Black pepper
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil (optional)
1 pound rigatoni
3 ounces Gruyère, grated (3/4 cup)
1 ounce Parmesan (optional), grated (1/4 cup)

Steps:

Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor to a coarse purée. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and add yellow pepper. Cook, stirring often, until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute.
Add tomatoes, sugar and salt to taste, and turn up heat to medium-high. When tomatoes begin to bubble briskly and sputter, turn heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant, thick sauce, about 15 minutes. Add olives, black pepper and basil, stir together, taste and adjust seasoning.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or gratin with olive oil.
When water in pot comes to a boil, salt generously and add rigatoni. Cook al dente, removing from the water 1 minute sooner than indicated in the package instructions. (Reserve some of the cooking water.) Transfer pasta to a large bowl.
If the tomato sauce seems very thick, thin out as desired with 2 to 4 tablespoons pasta cooking water. Scrape into bowl with pasta, add cheeses and toss well. Scrape into prepared baking dish. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Cover with foil.
Bake 25 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until bubbly and beginning to brown in spots. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 469, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 65 grams, Fat 16 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 18 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 641 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams

CHEESY RIGATONI PEPPER BAKE

Cheesy Rigatoni Pepper Bake image

Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network

Time 1h45m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound rigatoni
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, finely diced
Two 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
Two 8-ounce balls fresh mozzarella, cut into large cubes
9 tablespoons grated Parmesan
One 1-pound bag mini sweet peppers, stemmed and halved
Peppy Salad, recipe follows
One 5-ounce bag baby spring lettuce leaves
1 cup halved pepperoncini
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced
1 mini red pepper, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions; drain and set aside to cool.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions are golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste until everything is mixed together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Layer in half of the cooked noodles, half of the cubed mozzarella, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and half of the sweet peppers. Top with half of the remaining sauce. Repeat the process with the remaining noodles and mozzarella, 3 tablespoons Parmesan and the remaining peppers and sauce. Top with the remaining 3 tablespoons Parmesan. (If making ahead, cover and refrigerate.)
Cover and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the peppers are cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Peppy Salad.
Add the lettuce, pepperoncini, tomatoes, onion and mini pepper to a bowl. Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon, then sprinkle over some salt and pepper and toss.