Polish Sausage, Mexican Cheese and Italian Pasta, Oh My!

Sounds like the start of a joke, “This Polish sausage, a Mexican cheese and an Italia pasta walked into a bar and the sausage said, …”. Anyway this one is all my fault. I had to cook dinner, and put this together from the stuff in my fridge. It turned out great!

Ingredients

2 packages of good Polish Sausage (Klelbasa), sliced into 1/4 in slices
1 cup each – Oaxacan Cheese, Queso Blanco
1 Pablano Pepper rough chopped
1 medium onion, rough chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes halved or 1 can of roasted tomatoes
1 Box dried Rigatoni
1 Tsp Olive Oil
3 cloves minced Garlic
1 14oz can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 tsp each – Oregano and Sweet Basil
1/4 tsp each – Thyme and Red Pepper flakes
~ 1 tsp Tajin Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 Cup grated Sharp Cheddar (optional, mostly for color)
1/2 cup chopped scallions for garnish

Directions:

  1. Heat large frying pan on medium. Add oil, garlic, sausage, peppers and onion and sauté`til onion is clear and peppers soften.
  2. Add tomatoes (both), oregano, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
  3. Bring water to boil and cook Rigatoni, al dente. Drain completely.
  4. Preheat oven 350.
  5. Layer 1/2 Rigatoni on the bottom of the lasagna baking disk
  6. Break strings of Oaxacan and Queso Blanco cheese into chunks and distribute evenly across the top of the layer of rigatoni
  7. Spoon the sausage mixture over the first rigatoni and cheese layers
  8. Layer the second half of the Rigatoni over the sausage layer
  9. Break the remaining strings of Oaxacan and Queso Blanco cheese into chunks and distribute evenly across the top of the layer of rigatoni
  10. Sprinkle Tajin seasoning over the entire dish and place dish in oven.
  11. Bake in oven for 20 to 30 minutes until all the cheese has melted and some of the rigatoni on top is browned and crispy.
  12. Serve in big bowls. Sprinkle Cheddar on top for color and add chopped scallions as garnish.