A comforting and vibrant baked pasta dish that combines the richness of ricotta and pesto with savory sausage and hearty kale. Perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing gathering.

Follow The Directions

01

Step

5 mins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

02

Step

9 mins

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for about 9 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked.) Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Set aside.

03

Step

7 mins

While pasta is cooking, place sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and leave grease in the pan.

04

Step

16 mins

Add oil to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add kale, nutmeg, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook until kale is soft, 5 to 10 more minutes.

05

Step

2 mins

Return sausage back to the pan. Add ricotta, pesto, and 6 ounces mozzarella cheese. Add reserved pasta and cooking water. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top. Cover with foil.

06

Step

40 mins

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

For a vegetarian option, omit the sausage and add 1 (15-ounce) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, along with the kale.
Feel free to experiment with different types of sausage, such as sweet Italian sausage or spicy chorizo.
If you don't have rigatoni, penne or other similar pasta shapes will work well.