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–+ servings
Close-up of baked rigatoni pasta with pesto and melted mozzarella cheese, a perfect 5-Ingredient Dinner Idea.

5-Ingredient Pesto Rigatoni

This recipe for Pesto Rigatoni is a simple and quick weeknight dinner that uses only 5 main ingredients. It's perfect for busy evenings when you need a delicious meal on the table fast.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Delallo Rigatoni
  • 6.35 ounces Delallo Simply Pesto 1 jar
  • 1 cup Delallo Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water might not use the entire 1/4 cup
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • fresh basil chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Baking dish

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Cook the rigatoni according to package directions until al dente.
  4. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the hot pasta with the reserved pasta water (add just enough to make it saucy), pesto, and crushed tomatoes. Stir well.
  6. Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  7. Spread half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining pasta and cheese.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  9. Garnish with fresh chopped basil before serving.

Notes

This recipe is designed for simplicity and speed. Feel free to add other vegetables or proteins if you have them on hand, but the 5 core ingredients make it a quick and easy go-to.

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