Pasta is one of the ultimate comfort foods. This Cheesy Rigatoni Skillet is lasagne-inspired, with some spinach and mushrooms thrown into the mix. Feel free to add your own ingredients, as this recipe is incredibly versatile! It’s good when low budget doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice on deliciousness.
Serves: Four to six
Time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup (75g) mushrooms, sliced
- 700g pasta sauce (Passata works well)
- 110g fresh spinach
- 250g rigatoni
- 230g whole milk ricotta
- 1 tablespoon Italian herbs
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or tasty cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of sugar (optional)
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add in the rigatoni and cook to packet instructions. Drain in colander and set aside.
Meanwhile, begin the sauce. Using a large lidded frying pan, add olive oil and minced garlic, sautéing for about a minute over medium heat. Add in your sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms have released their moisture and begin to brown (about six minutes).
Add the sauce to the skillet and stir in the Italian herbs and the pinch of sugar. Cook sauce over a low heat for a few minutes to allow flavours to marry a bit. Add in the spinach and continue to stir, cooking until the spinach has wilted (about five minutes).
Stir in the rigatoni and allow everything to heat through.
In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold dollops of the ricotta mixture into the pasta. Do not mix through all the way so that there are still bits of yummy ricotta in the pasta.
Sprinkle the grated mozzarella over the pasta and place the lid on top.
Heat over medium-low flame until the cheese has melted.
To make this extra delicious, place the frying pan (without the lid) under your grill and keep an eye on it until the cheese begins to brown.
Serve hot with a nice green salad on the side.
Related articles:
Cheats Lasagne
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagne
Pasta Bake