Fire Roasted Rigatoni w/Red Beans & Ricotta

A fully satisfying, protein packed dish. With ground sausage, kidney beans, ricotta and parmesan it’s definitely a pasta pleasing meal!

An afternoon mountain adventure

We discovered Georgia’s highest state park while staying in North Georgia. It was quite incredible how quickly the elevation changed while driving up Black Rock Mountain’s steep and winding roads. With an altitude of 3,640 feet it is sure to impress you with the most spectacular views of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. This day in particular was a cooler day. Although, it was quite a dramatic difference of weather while on the mountain. We ran into snow covered and icy trails. I was most grateful that I had packed some winter gear. In light of the slippery trails and steps it was still a worthwhile day of hiking and fresh air.

A satisfying protein packed dinner

There’s something about a hearty pasta dish that really hits the spot. I was craving something that was sure to satisfy a hungry belly from the days’ worth of hiking. Rigatoni is one my my favorite pastas to use. Especially paired with ground sausage, there’s just something delicious about the pairing. I wanted to really create something that was bursting with flavor and loaded with veggies. Inspired by a can of fire roasted tomatoes I had on hand, I got to work creating a fire roasted themed dinner.

The prep & tips

Have you ever fire roasted a bell pepper? There’s a couple ways to go about it. You can simply put a whole bell pepper over an open flame, grill or broiler and let it do its magic. Once the skin becomes black and blistered, allow it to cool then peel the pepper or rinse it under water. I gave it a good chop along with an onion and some garlic. I decided to toss in some dark red kidney beans for some added protein and am quite glad I did. It really gave this dish a satisfying component. I love fresh grated cheese but if you are in a pinch or trying to save time on prepping opt for finely pre-shredded parmesan.

With the intention of cooking this meal on the grill, having everything prepped and pre-measured is the way to go. With this in mind I find it very beneficial to have the pasta pre-cooked. It eliminates the running of back and forth while tending to the grill. Therefore, simply cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions followed by rinsing in cold water. By doing so, this stop the cooking process. Be sure to give it a toss in olive oil to prevent the annoyance of sticky pasta noodles. Be sure to reserve one cup of the cooking liquid.

Let’s cook

Another key point is to always have the grill preheated and the skillet hot prior to adding the oil. This prevents the oil from burning and the food from sticking. A 10 to 12 inch cast iron worked perfectly. In fact, I used my lodge cast iron 10 inch deep skillet. Start by cooking the ground sausage over a medium to high heat. Crumble the sausage as it cooks in a small drizzle of olive oil.  Cook the meat thoroughly, it typically cooks in about 8-10 minutes. After, transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate and leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan.

Sauté the vegetables

Next you’ll be sautéing the vegetables. Cook the onion until it begins to soften, around 5 minutes. Followed by the roasted bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste cooking for an additional 1-2 minutes. Don’t forget to give it a good pinch of ground pepper while the veggies cook. Sausage can be salty, so I wait to add any additional salt until the very end, if needed.

Simmer time

After you have cooked down the fresh vegetables add a can of fire roasted tomatoes with their juices, one cup of reserved cooking liquid from the pasta and cream. After bringing to a simmer allow the sauce to cook for about 10 minutes, reducing heat if it comes to a rapid boil.

The final steps

Finally add the cooked sausage, kidney beans and parmesan stirring to combine. Then add the rigatoni, 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese and fresh basil tossing to combine. Once it’s heated through remove from the grill and serve topped with an additional dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Fire Roasted Rigatoni w/Red Beans & Ricotta

Recipe by Christina @thyme.and.timberCourse: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

A fully satisfying, protein packed dish with ground sausage, kidney beans, ricotta and parmesan.

Ingredients

• olive oil, drizzle

• 1 (12 oz.) package rigatoni, cooked al dente
  Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid

• 1 lb. (16 oz.) ground Italian sausage

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 green bell pepper, roasted & chopped

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 15oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

• 1 15oz. can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

• 1/3 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese + 4 Tablespoons, divided

• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finally grated

• 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn

• pepper & salt to taste

Directions

• Boil the rigatoni to al dente according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process followed by tossing with a drizzle of olive oil, set aside.
• Heat a 3 or 4 quart Dutch Oven or a 10 to12 inch cast iron skillet for 5 minutes on a medium-high preheated grill. Add a drizzle of olive oil and crumble sausage into pan, season with pepper. Crumbling while cooking until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer crumbled sausage to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb any excess oil leaving 1 Tablespoon of oil in the pan.
• To the skillet add the onion and a pinch of ground pepper cooking until it begins to soften, around 5 minutes.
• Next add the roasted bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
• Add the fire roasted tomatoes with their juices, reserved cooking liquid and cream. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to cook for about 10 minutes, reducing heat if it comes to a rapid boil.
• Finally add the cooked sausage, kidney beans and parmesan stirring to combine. Then add the rigatoni, 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese and fresh basil tossing to mix through.
• Once the pasta is heated through remove from the grill. Divide into four bowls and serve with an additional dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of parmesan, if desired.

Notes

• To roast the bell pepper, place the pepper over an open flame, grill or broiler and let it do its magic. Once the skin becomes black and blistered, allow it to cool. Then peel the pepper or rinse it under water.