Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Fennel

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Fry the sausages in a large skillet over medium heat, turning frequently until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the skillet, cool slightly and slice into rounds. Add the garlic, fennel and onion to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, then add the roasted red peppers, basil, sliced sausage and pasta sauce. Heat through over low heat until warmed.
3. Combine the pasta with the sauce and vegetables in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the mozzarella, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses over the top. Garnish with a few fennel leaves left from the bulb. Cover with aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, then remove the aluminum foil. Set the oven to broil, and cook for another 5 minutes or until cheese is browned.

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Reviews (49)

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41

Steve

Jan. 13, 2009

"Make sure that you THINLY slice that fennel. The flavors in this dish were great but my fennel was a little too crunchy!..." See more"

22

Chef Buckeye

Jul. 24, 2008

"I made this last night for a few friends, and it received universally rave reviews. When I make it again, I might do half sweet sausage and half spicy. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. Than..." See moreks for an excellent recipe!"

21

BEDTIMEBEAR

Jul. 5, 2008

"We got a bulb of fennel from our CSA, and I didn't know what to do with it. I'm glad I found this recipe. I'm not a huge fan of sausage, but even I thought this was really good. My husband kept goi..." See moreng back again and again for 'just one more bite'."