Baked Rigatoni With Kalamata Olives

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb hot italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, sclafani quick crushed preferred
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 8 ounces water
• 1/3 lb kalamata olive, drained and pitted and coarsely chopped (the kind in olive oil)
• 3/4 ounce basil, coarsely chopped
• 16 ounces rigatoni pasta, i get gigantoni when i can find it
• 16 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375°f.
• 2 cook pasta according to directions, making sure to keep it al dente. drain and place back in cooking pot. set aside.
• 3 meanwhile, in skillet cook sausage and onions until sausage is done (crumble sausage as it cooks). drain well and set aside.
• 4 in same skillet add olive oil and garlic and cook 1-2 minutes.
• 5 return sausage and onion to pan with garlic.
• 6 add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. stir well. cook at a high simmer. add olives. cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 15 minutes. turn off heat. stir in basil.
• 7 pour tomato sauce over pasta and toss to coat well.
• 8 place layer of 1/3 of pasta in bottom of pam sprayed casserole. top with 1/2 of mozzarella. top with another third of pasta. top with remaining mozzarella. repeat with final layer of pasta. cover with foil.
• 9 cook in oven for thirty minutes.
• 10 remove foil and top with parmesan. cook an additional 15-25 minutes. (we like it crunchy on top so cook the full 25 minutes. cook it how you like it.).