Baked Rigatoni with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Create this Sunday dinner-worthy casserole made of garden-fresh sauce tossed with rigatoni (or penne, gemelli, or fusilli pasta) and draped with luscious melted cheese, all in well under an hour.
Ingredients
- 9 medium (1 kg) roma tomatoes
- ½ small (60 g) small onion, peeled
- 1½ small (125 g) carrots, peeled, halved
- 3 Tablespoons (45 g) tomato paste
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 pound (455 g) pasta, rigatoni or ziti, dried
- 2 cups (225 g) Mozzarella cheese, shredded, or provolone
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease a 13x9-inch (33x23-cm) baking dish and set aside.
- Place tomatoes, onions, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
- Select Variable 1.
- Start machine, slowly increase to Variable 10, then to High.
- Blend for 5 minutes 35 seconds.
- While the sauce is blending, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions. Drain.
- Transfer the rigatoni to the prepared baking dish.
- Top with 4 cups (960 ml) warm tomato sauce and 2 cups of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Ingredients
- 9 medium (1 kg) roma tomatoes
- ½ small (60 g) small onion, peeled
- 1½ small (125 g) carrots, peeled, halved
- 3 Tablespoons (45 g) tomato paste
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 pound (455 g) pasta, rigatoni or ziti, dried
- 2 cups (225 g) Mozzarella cheese, shredded, or provolone
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease a 13x9-inch (33x23-cm) baking dish and set aside.
- Place tomatoes, onions, carrots, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, basil, lemon juice, brown sugar, and salt into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
- Select Variable 1.
- Start machine, slowly increase to Variable 10, then to High.
- Blend for 5 minutes 35 seconds.
- While the sauce is blending, cook the rigatoni according to package instructions. Drain.
- Transfer the rigatoni to the prepared baking dish.
- Top with 4 cups (960 ml) warm tomato sauce and 2 cups of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
