Date Night Rigatoni
Nothing says "date night" like a comforting bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, and a cozy night in. This Date Night Rigatoni is the perfect dish to impress without the stress! The star of this dish has to be the roasted veggie sauce with 5 hidden veggies.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet bell pepper halved & seeds removed
- 2 tomatoes halved
- 1 carrot peeled & chopped
- 1/2 yellow onion quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 garlic head
- 1/2 cup stock chicken or vegetable
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 300 grams rigatoni
- 2 Italian sausages casings removed
- 1/2 - 156 mL can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan to garnish
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking dish or baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Toss the bell pepper, tomatoes, carrot, and onion with 1 tablespoon of the oil, Italian seasoning, red chili flakes (if using), and season with salt and pepper. Cut the top off the garlic head, drizzle with remaining olive oil, wrap in tin foil and add to the baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the vegetables are golden and soft. Set aside to cool.
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Squeeze the head of garlic to extract the roasted garlic from the skin. Add the cooked vegetables, roasted garlic, stock, and cream cheese to a blender, and blend until smooth.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
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While the pasta cooks, add the Italian sausage to a large frying pan over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and stirring occasionally. When the sausage is browned, reduce the heat to medium, add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the blended roasted vegetable pasta sauce. Bring to a simmer then stir in the cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste, adding a splash of pasta water as needed to create a velvety sauce. Garnish with the Parmesan before serving.