Baked Rigatoni with Poultry or Beef Meatballs Recipe
Serves/Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups cleaned freshy sliced mushrooms
- 1 green pepper, membranes removed and seeded, chopped
- 2 teaspoons basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 (28-ounce / 796-mL) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (5 1/2-ounce / 156-mL) can tomato paste
- 3 1/2 cups rigatoni pasta noodles
- 1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Meatball Mixture
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 pound ground turkey (chicken or beef)
How to cook Baked Rigatoni with Poultry or Beef Meatballs:
- For the meatballs, into a medium bowl, slightly beat egg before mixing in chopped onion, dry bread crumbs, minced garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper until combined.
- Mix in ground turkey (chicken or beef).
- Shape mixture into small meatballs using a heaping tablespoon mixture for each meatball.
- Set aside.
- Heat olive oil into a large skillet.
- A few at a time, brown meatballs on all side; remove from skillet.
- Drain excess fat from skillet before adding chopped onion, minced garlic, mushroom slices, chopped green bell pepper, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
- Stir in water.
- Cook over medium heat for approximately 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened.
- Stir in stewed tomatoes with juice, tomato paste and reserved browned meatballs.
- Leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil rigatoni pasta noodles pasta noodles until “al dente”, soft yet still a little crunchy.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Drain pasta noodles.
- Add drained pasta noodles to meatball mixture stirring until combined.
- Pour into a 2 1/2-quart (10-cup) casserole dish.
- Sprinkle mixtrue all over with grated Mozzarella cheese, then with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake into preheated oven for 20 minutes before serving.
This recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Poultry or Beef Meatballs serves/makes: 6 servings