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