Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake in just 30 Minutes

Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake is loaded with ooey gooey cheese, sun-dried and fresh grape tomatoes. Ready in just 30 minutes! 


With Christmas quickly approaching, time is a very precious commodity.  Whether you are preparing a meal for your family or a dinner party for friends, you can put a gourmet meal on the table in only 30 minutes.

This Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake has everything your dinner guests could possibly desire, tender tubes of rigatoni are baked in a scrumptious, flavorful Italian cheese sauce. The pasta is tossed with...

Yield: 8

Author: Donna Elick

30-Minute Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake

Tender tubes of rigatoni are baked in a scrumptious, flavorful Italian cheese sauce. The pasta is tossed with sweet sun-dried and fresh grape tomatoes. A golden brown breaded crust gives this pasta a perfect crunch. Melty, creamy cheese, sweet tomatoes and thick pasta come together with a crunchy topping to make this a dinner to remember.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 cup milk (whole or 2%)
• Kosher salt (for seasoning water)
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 5 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 8 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend
• 6 ounces grape tomatoes (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 (8.5-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes julienne cut in olive oil, drained
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 4 basil leaves, julienned

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Fill a large 8 quart sauce pan with water, cover and bring to a boil.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan (about 4 quarts) over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter, add flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and nutmeg. Whisk for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the "flour-y" taste. Add milk, whisk to combine. Allow to cook until pasta water comes to a boil.
4. Add a handful of salt to boiling pasta water. Cook pasta to al dente; meaning it still has a little bite to it (approximately 7 minutes). Al dente pasta absorbs sauce better while it cooks and this is going into the oven.
5. Add Parmesan cheese to sauce and stir. Sprinkle in Italian cheese blend, stirring until the cheese sauce is smooth. Reduce heat to simmer.
6. Meanwhile slice grape tomatoes in half lengthwise. Drain sun-dried tomatoes. In a microwave safe bowl, add butter and microwave until melted. Add bread crumbs and combine with a fork until butter is absorbed into bread crumbs. Add ½ cup Parmesan cheese and stir with fork until combined. Set aside.
7. Once pasta is drained and returned to the hot pan, add sun-dried tomatoes and grape tomatoes (reserving 10 or so for garnish). Stir. Pour in cheese sauce, reserving about 1 cup. Stir until combined.
8. Pour pasta into a baking dish and smooth out with spoon. Pour remaining cheese sauce evenly over top. Sprinkle with bread crumb topping. Garnish with reserved tomatoes. Place baking dish on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes until topping is golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

https://www.theslowroasteditalian.com/2012/12/italian-sun-dried-tomato-pasta-bake-in.html

Recipe developed by Donna Elick forThe Slow Roasted Italian
Copyright ©2012 The Slow Roasted Italian – All rights reserved.

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