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Cheesy rigatoni pie with sun-dried tomatoes with fresh herb pesto
Take traditional pasta to a whole new level with this family favourite recipe! Made with sun-dried tomato, basil, parsley, chives and pine nuts pesto, a smooth cheese sauce and a creamy ricotta filling, this pie is so easy to make and will satisfy everyone joining you for dinner.
SERVES
4
TO
6
Ingredients
Rigatoni
- 1 package rigatoni
Sun-dried Tomato and Fresh Herb Pesto
- 1 1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped and oil reserved
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 2 cups flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 1 cup parmesan, finely grated
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup sun-dried tomato oil (top with olive oil if not enough)
Ricotta Filling
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan, finely grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup gruyere, shredded
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To Serve
- 1 cup passata
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
Directions
Rigatoni
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Boil pasta for about eight minutes or just before they are al dente. You want the pasta to be cooked, but still a bit firm. Drain and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle the pasta with a bit of olive oil, just enough to coat it. Set aside.
Sun-dried Tomato and Fresh Herbs Pesto
- In a food processor add sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, chives, parmesan, pine nuts, lemon juice, chilli flakes, and kosher salt and pulse a few times. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and continue to process until smooth. Set aside.
Ricotta Filling
- Add ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, eggs, kosher salt and black pepper to a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined and smooth.
- Add all but three tablespoons of the pesto to the ricotta filling and mix to combine.
- Add ricotta and pesto filling to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Set aside.
Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and sprinkle flour over top. Whisk continuously for about two minutes, then slowly whisk in all the milk and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to whisk for about three minutes (the sauce should be thick). Remove from heat.
- Once off the heat, add the mozzarella, gruyere. Mix until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Assemble, Cook and Serve
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- To assemble spray a nine-inch round springform pan with cooking spray.
- Begin by spreading two tablespoons of the passata to the bottom of the pan and top with a few spoonfuls of the cheese sauce. Fill each rigatoni with the ricotta and pesto filling and place them in the pan standing up until the whole pan is covered.
- Top with the remainder of the passata and cheese sauce.
- Drizzle the three tablespoons of reserved pesto over the cheese sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Place on a prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake for 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and let the pie rest for 10-15 minutes before removing the ring and slicing. Enjoy!
