Monday, October 11, 2010

Bake for the Cure Recipe #3: Hearty Rigatoni

To bring more awareness to breast cancer this October, ABCD Diaries is participating in a Bake-Off with 19 other blogs. The Bake for the Cure Bakeoff is sponsored by ACH products.
The premise is simple: using ACH ingredients (Argo Corn Starch, Karo Corn Syrup, Fleishmann’s Yeast), prepare two recipes per week (Oct. 4 – 20) and post photos of the finished product.
So, each week we will be posting 2 recipes, one from the Bake for the Cure Cookbook and one personal favorite. The blogger with the most comments on their recipe posts wins $500, which would truly be a blessing for our family:)

Today, we are going to share a recipe from the ACH Cook Book...a filling fall dinner that is yummy, easy to make and easy to customize to fit your family's tastes:
Hearty Rigatoni

Ingredients:
4-5 links of Italian Sausage(this is my twist...originally the recipe calls for 1lb ground beef)
1 t minced garlic
3/4 t fennel seed
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 can(14.5oz)diced tomatoes
1 can(8oz) tomato sauce
1/3 c dry red wine
2 pkgs French's Italian Spaghetti Sauce Mix
1 c half and half
1 c ricotta
8 oz dry rigatoni
1 c shredded mozzarella

Prep:15 min
Cook:45 min
Serves:10
Directions:
1. Brown meat until cooked through. Drain fat. Add garlic, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, and spaghetti sauce mix and stir until combined. Gradually add half and half. Bring to a boil over medium hig hea, stirring occassionally. Add ricotta cheese, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes.
2. Cook and drain pasta. Move to an oven-safe casserole dish. Pour sauce mix over pasta and top with mozzarella cheese.
3. Broil until cheese just browns. Serve immediately.
Okay, first of all, I don't think it took 45 minutes to cook...it seemed like less. We also added fresh, sauteed spinach to ours to make it a one-dish meal. This recipe is pretty versatile and you could add in prety much anything to fit your family's tastes. It was a little hard to find fennel seed...we looked at 3 stores before finding it. I don't think we'll use it next time...it really adds a strong flavor to the dish, especially with sausage(which I think already has fennel in it) Next time I think we'll add a few more things like mushrooms, onions, maybe olives. This is definitely a hearty, cheesy dish that left everyone's tummies full:)


Have any ideas on how to change up this recipe? Want to tell us your family's favorite fall recipe? Want to help us win $500? Please share your comments below!! If you try this recipe, we hope your family enjoys it:)

Disclosure: We were provided with ACH products, a cook book and a gift card for materials to participate in this contest. All opinions expressed in this post are ours and ours alone.

67 comments:

  1. It looks like a great family meal for fall. I would not use fennel, because my honey cannot stand the flavor. I would add the mushrooms and onions. A salad and bread, and dinner is served. The spinach sounds like a wonderful add in.

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  2. Looks fun! I would love $500! I am sure that would be great.

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  3. Mouth watering! I willl be trying this new recipe as well!!

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  4. This sounds much better than my dumping a jar of Ragu on the rigatoni with a little cheese on top!
    jcottey at aol dot com

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  5. This looks yummy! I love all the cheesy goodness!

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  6. It looks too fancy too be that simple to make!

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  7. Never made this, but sure looks good!
    bunnybx at gmail . com

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  8. I want to eat this - now. It looks like dinner tonight.

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  9. Now you've touched my soul! Mmm ... this looks like true comfort food!

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  10. Great recipe; looks easy and delicious!

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  11. I'm a BIG!!! pasta FAN!!! with LOTS of CHEESE!!! I've never add fennel seeds, but what a GREAT!!! idea. This is a MUST try recipe for the family.
    heartnsoulcooking[at]gmail[dot]com

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  12. We make something similar but with the ground beef and we cut up peperoni slices!

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  13. I've made lots of rigatoni in my time.I make so much pasta because I was raised by my Italian grand parents and that was almost all we ever ate.
    Looks so good.Makes me miss the grand folks
    jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com

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  14. Looks delicious...and maybe something my kids would eat. By the way, could you tell me more about how the Bake for the Cure earns money for Breast Cancer. I like to share stuff like that on my blog. You can e-mail me at ecarian at yahoo dot com

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  15. OOOOh again another one of the few foods my picky eater of a daughter will eat.....PASTA!! (I love it too!) This looks delish!!

    mistry dot kelly at yahoo dot com

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  16. This sounds sooo good! My husband would be perfectly happy to eat rigatoni twice a week LOL.

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  17. Italian food, my favorite! I'm not much of a cook (I prefer baking) but I could make this and my family would love it.

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  18. This looks pretty good. Don't think I'd use the fennel seed either. Another recipe I can't wait to try.
    huntandride@hotmail.com

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  19. Great idea adding spinach. I love that you can hide veggies, etc in dishes like these.
    suelee7 at hotmail dot com

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  20. This looks so good, and I would use bulk Italian sausage without adding extra fennel seed. I would also change it up now and then with the large shell noodles because they hold the cheese and sauce so well.

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  21. i love the sausage substitution! i think i could even make this and i am not a cook!

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  22. Since I'm vegetarian, I would put lots of veggies in instead of the meat. Broccoli, mushrooms and onions come to mind!!

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  23. This sure is hearty - I'm making it tonight and my son already is getting excited!

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  24. I will diffently try this one I love the touch of spinach and will add the onions and mushrooms.

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  25. This looks like a great recipe. I love the touch of spinach and will try the onions and mushrooms.

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  26. It looks great.

    Doubly great now...when I'm hungry. Thank you for the recipe. I appreciate it!

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  27. Oh now I am ready for a nice hearty super! That looks absolutely delicious :o)

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  28. We love pasta - this sounds delish!

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  29. I am going to definately try this. Thanks so much! Always looking for good recipies to try.

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  30. Looks good. Italian sausage is a good addition!

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  31. Yum that looks so good!

    Carmen
    nemesis_33012 at yahoo dot com

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  32. yum I think I will try it! jtwark@mail.com

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  33. I would skip the fennel as well, but otherwise it looks good.

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  34. Except I might go back to the original ground beef because I'm not a huge fan of Italian Sausage.

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  35. I would make the tomatoes the fire-roasted kind and add sauteed onions! hpb157@yahoo.com

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  36. My hubby would love this- he wants Italian Sausage in everything! THis looks yummy!
    orangeaugust at yahoo dot com

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  37. DH would be a huge fan of this!

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  38. italian sausage is def the way to go, good choice! this sounds so good, going to try it next week.
    hancoci_s at msn dot com

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  39. I like the sausage idea, I always use hamburger but next time I will try this & maybe add green peppers.

    uncashbug6 at aol dot com

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  40. I will have to try this my husband would love it!

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  41. Sounds like a yummy dinner and the perfect size for our family of 8.

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  42. Definitely sounds like a potential hit in our pasta-loving household! thanks!

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  43. The picture look scrumptious!! I'm sure my family would love this. Thanks so much! pamelashockley(AT)aol(DOT)com

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  44. That sounds absolutely delicious!!

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  45. I like the change you made to sausage - definitely better than ground beef for us.

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  46. That looks really good, my hubby would go after this for sure eaglesforjack@gmail.com

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  47. I think we would omit the fennel as well...these sounds very filling:)
    timbow54 at hotmail

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  48. ooh look at all that ooey gooey cheese on top!! Sounds delicious! Love the substitution of sausage for ground beef - think of all the extra flavor!

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  49. This recipe sounds good, but I can't drink any kind of wine without getting sick...does it make a difference when used for cooking? Would love to try the recipe, but unsure about using wine in it...

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  50. I would skip the fennel and add more veggies but other that that this looks really good.

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  51. I could adapt this to a Gluten Free Dish, I think!

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  52. I like the idea of adding Italian Sausage. Maybe even bacon crumbles could be added on the times you would like a little different flavor than sausage. My husband says bacon makes everything better. I'm sure a lot of husband's say that. he he

    msurosey@yahoo.com

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  53. This looks like a yummy and easy dinner. Most of the ingredients I have available right off hand. Thanks for posting the recipe.

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  54. It looks so delicious, yum yum!

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  55. Delicioso! This is great, I'm taking this for lunch.

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  56. This looks very delicious!

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  57. That looks fantastic and all that cheese is right up my alley!

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  58. We've never had rigatoni, but this recipe will definitely change that! I like how you used italian sausage in it, sounds delicious!

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  59. I think the sausage probably does have fennel in it already. I'm not that fond of it myself and would leave it out. I'd put in more garlic since that's my favorite seasoning.

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  60. I have Italian Sausage in the freezer and have been thing of a new way to use them. This recipe will be great. Thanks!

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