Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce
This baked pasta with an easy to make creamy tomato sauce and Fontina cheese has heartiness with chunks of cauliflower. For a meatless meal, this one of very comforting!
Servings 10
Calories 399kcal
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 28-oz. cans whole tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced (I used 4 cloves and thought it was perfect)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 lb. rigatoni
- 1 lb. 1- to 1-1/2-inch cauliflower florets about 4 cups
- olive oil
- 10 oz. shredded Fontina about 2-1/2 cups (I used 2 cups of shredded Four-Cheese blend from Trader Joe's and 1/2 cup of Fontina)
- 2 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano about 3/4 cup
Instructions
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Bring a pot of well-salted water to boil in a large pot . Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 Tbs. olive oil (I sprayed olive oil, which is less than 1 tablespoon).
For the roasted cauliflower
- Spread the cauliflower on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. I like to mix it around, with my hands, to coat the cauliflower. Roast until "al dente" and just slightly golden around the edges-- 15-20 minutes.
For the sauce:
- Pour off 1 cup of juice from one of the cans of tomatoes and discard it. In a blender or food processor, purée both cans of tomatoes with their remaining juice and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil in a 6- to 8-qt. Dutch oven or heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, about 1 minute, add the onions and 1/4 tsp. of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Push the onions to the side of the Dutch oven with a wooden spoon and add the garlic. Add the red pepper flakes, and cook until it just starts to sizzle and becomes fragrant, about 10 seconds.
- Add the puréed tomatoes and cream (be careful; it will splatter), plus the remaining 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the sauce thickens slightly. Add the parsley , and cook until the flavors are melded, about 5 minutes more. Taste for salt and pepper and remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, when the salted water comes to a boil, cook the rigatoni until it’s al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add the pasta to the sauce. Add the cauliflower and combine.
- Add half of the shredded cheeses to the pasta and cauliflower mixture and toss well. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Top the pasta with the remaining cheeses and then the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- NOTE: The leftovers reheat very well.
Notes
Recipe source: Slightly adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine
I chose to roast the cauliflower, rather than boil it in the pasta water.
Feel free to change the cauliflower out for whatever vegetables you prefer, such as broccoli.