Kate's Baked Italian Sausage Zucchini Yellow Squash Rigatoni

Baked rigatoni topped with Italian sausage meat sauce, sautéed zucchini and yellow squash, melted ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, and a Parmesan garlic breadcrumb topping. This is a complete meal of protein, healthy veggies, and whole grains all in one baked dish.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 1 casserole

Ingredients

• Italian Sausage Meat Sauce

•  extra virgin olive oil
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 1  lb  mild  Italian turkey sausage
• 1  lb ground beef (or additional 1 lb mild Italian turkey sausage)
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
• 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2  cups water
• 1  tablespoon dried basil
• 2  bay leaves
• 3⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
•  salt, to taste
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sugar
• 1⁄4 cup white wine (optional)
• 2  tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

• Sauteed Squash

• 3  zucchini, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
• 3  yellow squash, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
•  garlic powder
•  onion powder
•  salt and black pepper
•  extra virgin olive oil

• Parmesan Garlic Breadcrumb Topping

• 2  cups  breadcrumbs (I grind 5 slices of whole wheat bread in a food processor)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried marjoram or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
•  salt, to taste
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1  cup parmesan cheese

• Pasta

• 16  ounces  penne rigate (I use whole wheat Penne Rigate, any kind of tube or spiral pasta will be fine)

• Cheese Mixture

• 16  ounces ricotta cheese
• 12  ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 -3  eggs
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEAT SAUCE: Caramelize onion in olive oil. Remove casings from sausage and add sausage and ground beef to pan breaking into bits and browning. Add garlic and sauté two minutes more. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, water, basil, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, sugar, and wine. Boil and simmer, covered, for at least 40 minutes up to 3 hours. Add chopped parsley to Meat Sauce during the last 15 minutes of simmering sauce.
2. SAUTEED SQUASH: Sprinkle squash with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Sauté squash in olive oil until browned on both sides. Transfer to drain on plates lined with paper towels.
3. PARMESAN GARLIC BREADCRUMB TOPPING: Combine breadcrumbs, marjoram or oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, sugar, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese.
4. PASTA: Boil salted water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.
5. CHEESE MIXTURE: Combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, and black pepper.
6. ASSEMBLY: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease a large baking pan with olive oil. In baking pan, spread pasta across the bottom coating with a small amount of olive oil. Remove bay leaves from Meat Sauce. Top pasta with half of Meat Sauce. Place Sautéed Squash at an angle half in half out of Meat Sauce. Top Sautéed Squash with other half of Meat Sauce.
7. Spread dollops of Cheese Mixture evenly across the top of the Meat Sauce. Sprinkle Breadcrumb Topping evenly over dish.
8. Bake at 350F degrees for 40 minutes or until crumbs are golden and dry and sauce is bubbly.