Baked rigatoni gets plenty of tomato sauce, but I don’t pour it into the skillet as soon as the Italian sausage is cooked. Three more meats go in first.
Chopped ham, pepperoni, and soppressata cook with the sausage until their edges start to crisp. Only then do I reduce the heat and add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste.
Italian Sausage Goes Into the Skillet First
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the Italian sausage.
Cook and crumble the sausage until no pink remains. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute before moving on to the deli meats.
The sausage stays in the skillet for the next step.
Pepperoni, Ham, and Soppressata Go in Before the Sauce
Chop the ham, pepperoni, and soppressata, then add all three to the cooked sausage.
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I don’t pour the tomatoes over them right away. Give the meats time in the skillet until their edges start to crisp.
That means four meats are in the pan before the tomato base enters: Italian sausage, ham, pepperoni, and soppressata.
Crushed Tomatoes Come After the Meat Crisps
Once the edges of the deli meat have started to crisp, reduce the heat.
Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, then season the sauce with dried oregano and basil.
This is where the skillet turns from browned meat into the sauce for the rigatoni. The pepperoni and salami have already had direct contact with the hot pan rather than cooking from the start in tomato sauce.
Mozzarella Gets Mixed Into the Rigatoni
Prepare the rigatoni according to the package directions, then toss it with the meat sauce.
Add 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella and mix it through the pasta rather than saving all the cheese for the top.
Transfer everything to a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish.
More Mozzarella Goes on Top Before Baking
Spread the remaining mozzarella over the rigatoni before the casserole goes into the oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and bubbling.
Rigatoni works well here, but penne or ziti can take its place. Thicker pasta shapes also hold up better through the boil-and-bake process.
The step I don’t rush happens before any tomato reaches the skillet. Italian sausage gets browned, then ham, pepperoni, and soppressata get their turn against the hot pan. The sauce waits until those edges start to crisp.
Do you cook pepperoni and salami before adding pasta sauce, or put everything into the sauce at once?
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