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