Rigatoni with bacon, spinach, and two cheeses is a flavorful and versatile dish that can be enjoyed for lunch, dinner, or even as a side dish. The combination of crispy bacon, wilted spinach, and melted cheese creates a rich and satisfying meal that is sure to please everyone at the table. Plus, it's a great way to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
RIGATONI WITH BACON, SPINACH AND TWO CHEESES
This is one of my family favorites. You will get lots of requests for this one. Feel free to exchange the cheeses with something different.
Provided by Miss Annie
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 50m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cook bacon in a heavy, large skillet over medium heat until crisp.
- Transfer bacon to paper towels and drain.
- Pour off all but 3 Tbsp.
- drippings from the pan.
- Add bell pepper and onion to the skillet and sauté until tender.
- Remove skillet from heat.
- Meanwhile, cook rigatoni in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender but firm.
- Drain and immediately return pasta to the same pot.
- Add the cheeses and butter until they melt and coat the pasta.
- Add spinach and brandy and toss over medium heat until the spinach wilts.
- Gently mix in the red bell pepper mixture and the bacon.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with walnuts and chives and serve immediately.
RIGATONI AND CHEESE
Steps:
- In a saute pan, sweat the bacon to render the fat. Remove the bacon from the pan, then add the shallots to the fat to cook. When tender, add the porcini and cook 5 minutes. Add the bacon back in the pan. Add the chicken stock a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper and add butter. Cook until thick, about 3 minutes. Toss in bread crumbs and parsley and remove from heat. Check seasoning.
- To make the Mornay:
- Begin by scalding the milk. Turn heat to low and slowly whisk in the roux. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes over low heat. Season with salt and pepper and add grated cheese. Reserve sauce in baine marie.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make the rigatoni, begin by cooking the rigatoni in well-salted water for 5 minutes. Shock quickly in ice water. Remove from ice water and keep tightly covered until ready to use. When the stuffing has cooled, put it in a piping bag and fill rigatoni, pressing ends clean.
- Place 4 rigatoni on a tray and spoon the sauce over to completely cover the pasta. Sprinkle with a little fresh bread crumbs and grated Parmesan. Bake for 5 minutes. Finish under broiler, if necessary.
- Plate on the cooking tray. Garnish with truffle shavings and Parmesan cheese.
- Melt the butter in a small pan. Whisk in the flour. Cook until the mixture bubbles. Remove from the heat.
MAKEOVER RIGATONI WITH BACON AND ASPARAGUS
Wouldn't it be great to find a company-worthy dish that not only impresses with its taste, but with its nutrition numbers, too? This dish lives up to expectations. -Joanie Fuson, Indianapolis, Indiana
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 8 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Fill a 6-qt. stockpot 3/4 full with water; bring to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry., Return water to a boil; cook rigatoni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 3-4 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in mozzarella cheese until melted., Drain rigatoni; return to pan. Stir in asparagus, bacon, parsley, salt, pepper and cream sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 345 calories, Fat 13g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 32mg cholesterol, Sodium 428mg sodium, Carbohydrate 44g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 15g protein.
CREAMY SPINACH & RIGATONI BAKE
Macaroni and cheese is one of the ultimate comfort foods. My recipe gives it an Italian twist. -Tammy Rex, New Tripoli, Pennsylvania
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 45m
Yield 10 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 375°. Cook rigatoni according to package directions., Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings; wipe skillet clean., In same pan, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended; gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese blend until melted., Stir in artichokes, spinach and pancetta. Drain rigatoni; add to cheese sauce. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese., Bake, uncovered, until golden brown and bubbly, 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 643 calories, Fat 35g fat (20g saturated fat), Cholesterol 99mg cholesterol, Sodium 1438mg sodium, Carbohydrate 53g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 28g protein.
RIGATONI WITH BACON, SPINACH, AND TWO CHEESES
Steps:
- COOK BACON IN HEAVY LARGE SKILLET OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT UNTIL CRISP. USING SLOTTED SPOON, TRANSFER BACON TO PAPER TOWELS AND DRAIN. POUR OFF ALL BUT 3 T DRIPPINGS FROM SKILLET. ADD BELL PEPPER AND ONION TO SKILLET AND SAUTE UNTIL TENDER, ABOUT 4 MIN. MEANWHILE, COOK RIGATONI IN LARGE POT OF BOILING SALTED WATER UNTIL TENDER BUT STILL FIRM TO BITE. DRAIN. IMMEDIATELY RETURN PASTA TO SAME POT. ADD FONTINA, GORGONZOLA, AND BUTTER AND TOSS UNTIL CHEESES AND BUTTER MELT AND COAT PASTA. ADD SPINACH AND BRANDY AND TOSS OVER MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL SPINACH WILTS ABOUT 3 MIN. GENTLY MIX IN PEPPER MIXTURE AND BACON. SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER. TRANSFER TO LARGE BOWL. SPRINKLE WITH WALNUTS AND CHIVES AND SERVE.
BAKED RIGATONI WITH SPINACH, RICOTTA, AND FONTINA
I found this in an old issue of Food and Wine. It sounds quick and good. Here's how the magazine describes it. A quick take on spinach and ricotta cannelloni, this baked pasta is fast because there's nothing to stuff. The filling is simply tossed with cooked rigatoni that's then topped with fontina and baked to a golden brown.
Provided by lazyme
Categories Spinach
Time 45m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until almost done, about 12 minutes.
- Drain.
- Put the pasta in the prepared baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Meanwhile, squeeze as much of the water as possible from the spinach.
- Put the spinach in a food processor and puree with the ricotta, 3 tablespoons of the Parmesan, the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Stir in half the fontina.
- Stir the spinach mixture into the pasta.
- Top with the remaining fontina and Parmesan.
- Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the top.
- Bake the pasta until the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
- VARIATION:.
- You can substitute another chunky pasta, such as penne rigate, penne, ziti, or fusilli. Boil all of these one or two minutes less.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 959.7, Fat 46.9, SaturatedFat 22.5, Cholesterol 213.3, Sodium 1057.2, Carbohydrate 89.5, Fiber 6.3, Sugar 4, Protein 46.4
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: Fresh, flavorful ingredients will make a big difference in the final dish. Look for ripe spinach, crispy bacon, and flavorful cheeses.
- Cook the pasta al dente: This means cooking it until it is still slightly firm to the bite. Overcooked pasta will be mushy and won't hold its shape well.
- Don't overcrowd the pan: When cooking the bacon, make sure to give it enough space so that it can crisp up properly. Overcrowding the pan will steam the bacon and prevent it from getting crispy.
- Use a large skillet: This will give you plenty of room to cook the pasta, bacon, and spinach without overcrowding the pan.
- Season the dish to taste: Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little spice.
Conclusion:
Rigatoni with bacon, spinach, and two cheeses is a delicious and easy-to-make pasta dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. The combination of crispy bacon, tender spinach, and melted cheese is sure to please everyone at the table. With a few simple tips, you can make this dish even better. So next time you're looking for a quick and easy pasta recipe, give this one a try.
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