Sweet Potato and Sausage Rigatoni Bake

Stews and and soups and hearty bakes! Oh how I love you, fall! I am sharing some delicious comfort food today on the blog with my sweet potato and sausage rigatoni bake!

You guys asked for more comfort food for the fall – so here it is! This is the epitome of comfort food in my view: pasta. First of all. Second of all, sweet potato. Really anything with some sort of squash or sweet potato is appropriate for the fall in my opinion. And also its baked in a casserole dish to finish. So yeah – this is it, my friends! I am so obsessed with this sweet potato and sausage rigatoni bake and am so excited to share it with you guys today!

For anyone keeping track, my husband is not a super big pasta fan. Which is unfortunate, because if I could eat some form of noodles every day, I most certainly would. So for him to say he liked this dish and wanted seconds – that’s a win in my book!

This bake takes roasted sweet potato, delicious sausage and onion, and hearty rigatoni noodles and mixes it all together in a creamy, pesto-y concoction that gets topped with bread crumbs and cheese before baking it to a bubbly, heavenly perfection. You could also substitute the sweet potato out for another delicious veggie, like butternut squash! Enjoy!

Print

Sweet Potato and Sausage Rigatoni Bake

Stews and and soups and hearty bakes! Oh how I love you, fall! I am sharing some delicious comfort food today on the blog with my sweet potato and sausage rigatoni bake!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

For sweet potatoes:

• 1 large sweet potato diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

For pasta:

• Cooking spray
• 12 ounces rigatoni
• 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced

For sauce:

• 2 cups milk
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup pesto

For topping:

• 1 cup grated gruyere
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss sweet potato with olive oil, salt, and pepper and spread out on a sheet pan. Roast in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until browned. Decrease oven temperature until 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with cooking spay.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta for 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.
4. While pasta is cooking, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add sausage. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes in total. Remove sausage to a large bowl. Add onions to the pan and sauté until softened, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer to same bowl with sausage.
5. In a medium-sized saucepan, heat milk over medium-low heat until simmering. Add cream cheese and pesto and stir until cheese is completely melted.
6. When pasta is finished cooking, add to the bowl with sausage and onions. Add sauce and sweet potato as well and stir until well combined. Transfer to prepared casserole dish. In a small bowl, combine gruyere and Panko until combined. Evenly distribute on the top of the casserole before covering with foil. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, then remove foil and broil for 2-3 minutes (keep an eye on it so the top doesn’t burn!). Enjoy!