Baked Rigatoni w/ Cheesy Béchamel
Lasagna is amazing, but let's be honest, sometimes it's just too much work.
That's where my Baked Rigatoni recipe swoops in to the rescue! And while it's not an exact swap for lasagna's tempting layers, I find that it hits all the right notes for that craving.
This recipe features a rich tomato sauce and a blend of creamy parmesan and mozzarella in a luscious béchamel sauce. I love throwing in vegan Italian sausage for that extra kick. But feel free to tailor it with your favorites like sautéed mushrooms, lentils, roasted veggies, or TVP. It's all about flexibility and flavor here.
Ready to dive into this dish that's as satisfying as it is easy to make?
Let’s do this.
INGREDIENTS:
Tomato Sauce
(1) 28oz. can of crushed tomatoes (I prefer San Marzano)
1 T tomato paste
1 small white onion (finely diced)
2 C (16 oz) pasta water
4 cloves garlic
3 T olive oil
½ - 1 tsp. kosher salt (as needed + more for salting pasta water)
⅛ - ¼ tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. unsalted poultry seasoning (can sub with dried thyme)
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried parsley (divided) or 3 T fresh (divided)
1 C vegan sausage (can sub with TVP or lentils)
½ tsp. Bouillon paste (I prefer Better than Bouillon No Beef or No Chicken, or sub with ½ bouillon cube)
¼ tsp. red chili pepper flakes (optional)
CREAMY, CHEESY
I've always been “team béchamel” when it comes to lasagna…even before I embraced a vegan lifestyle. Ricotta just wasn't my thing. So, in my quest to capture the essence of lasagna in this baked rigatoni, I knew a cheesy béchamel was a must.
It's all about bringing that familiar, comforting flavor to the forefront. But if you're a ricotta lover, don't hesitate to add it to this recipe. It's all about what gives you those perfect lasagna vibes
Cheesy Béchamel
2 T unsalted vegan butter
2 T flour
¾ -1 C plant milk
½ C vegan parmesan
½ C shredded mozzarella
1 T nutritional yeast (optional)
1 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste-start with ½ tsp. if using salted butter)
Few cracks of black pepper
⅛ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Pasta
228 g (about 3 C) dried rigatoni or other lined tube-shaped pasta
You Will Also Need
More grated vegan Parmesan (to sprinkle on top)
Ceramic baking pan (8 ½ ” x 6” ) if you like to live on the edge like me and fill a pan to the limit- if not, or 10 ½ ” x 8” ) *Clear glass might adjust your cooking time*
Prep :
Finely chop onions and garlic for sautéing
Chop vegan sausage
Grate/shred/microplane cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 450°
Add olive oil to a large, heavy-bottom pot or dutch oven and set to medium-high. Add chopped sausage and cook until browned- about 3-4 minutes. Remove sausage pieces from the pan and place in a bowl or plate and set aside.
Add the onions to the hot pan and cook for about 1 minute, then add in garlic and red chili flakes. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt (err on the side of caution- you’ll be using salted pasta water later) and pepper. Continue to cook until onions and garlic are translucent and slightly golden- watch the heat so the garlic doesn’t burn.
Add tomato paste and stir with onions and garlic- let it cook through- about 2 minutes.
Pour in tomatoes, then add bouillon, oregano, poultry seasoning/thyme, and parsley (1 teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons fresh)- let the sauce come to a bubble, then reduce heat down to low/medium-low and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking, boil water for pasta. Once it has come to a rolling boil, aggressively add salt- I’m talking two big pinches of salt, here (about 1 or 2 tablespoons depending on what type of salt you are using). I know, if you’re not used to doing this, it will seem like too much- but trust me, you want your water to be really salty (like the sea) so that every bite of pasta is well seasoned and delicious- inside and out.
Cook the pasta until just before it hits al dente - JUST BEFORE AL DENTE. Seriously. I’m screaming at you because if you overcook your pasta now, it will be completely mushy by the time you finish baking it in the oven and that…well, that would be sad. Al dente pasta is firm (has a bite to it), so you want your pasta to almost be edible, but not quite.
Reserve two cups of pasta water, then drain out the rest with a strainer. Add pasta water to your simmering tomato sauce and let it cook another couple of minutes- the starch in your pasta water will help to slightly thicken the sauce. Check for seasoning and salt or pepper if needed, then remove from heat.
In a separate small saucepan set to medium-high heat, add in the butter to melt. Once melted, add the flour and whisk with the butter until a paste (a roux) forms. Keep mixing until it starts to smell nutty, but before it browns- about 1 minute.
Add ¾ cup of milk to the roux and continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and is smooth. Add more milk if the sauce gets too thick and continue to whisk.
Add cheese, salt and pepper to taste, then nutmeg (if using)- whisk until cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened.
Remove béchamel from heat when thickened, but pourable.
Add a ladle full of tomato sauce to the bottom of your baking dish, then add drained pasta into the remaining sauce in the pot. Mix well, then transfer to the baking dish.
Pour béchamel over the top of the pasta and place on the center rack of the oven to bake for 18-22 minutes or until the top is golden and bubbly.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle top with the remaining fresh or dried parsley. Let cool for 10 minutes, then serve.
