Rigatoni Broccoli Rabe Bake.

{This post is sponsored by Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe, I used their Broccoli Rabe to make a cozy pasta bake that’s the perfect winter meal!}

Who agrees that Sunday pasta bakes are a must?

Typically around here Sunday night dinner is a little more chill than most other nights, so if all the family is around it’s the perfect night to sit down with everyone and eat a delicious dinner. Oddly, today is one of those Sundays. All of the family is in town after a busy weekend, so I am really excited to be making this bake, because it’s the perfect meal to please everyone.

As you guys may know, I have some seriously picky eaters in my family and it’s hard to come up with a meal that everyone will enjoy. If there’s one type of recipe that’s always a safe bet, it’s a baked pasta, especially baked pasta with spicy Italian meat sauce and lots of cheese on top…aka lasagna the easy way…aka a Gerard family favorite!

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday is to have some kind of red sauce simmering on the stove. I don’t know what it is, but for some reason it just epitomizes Sunday to me. I love the smells, the warmth the stove gives off (seriously)…and the all-around comfort it brings to the house. Not to mention the delicious dinner it’s going to make.

When I do any kind of pasta bake, I always love to sneak in some kind of vegetable. Not gonna lie, my family can be seriously tricky when it comes to sneaking in veggies, especially those of the green kind. When I first started cooking, I would get really sneaky and puree vegetables like pumpkin and butternut squash, but within the last year the fam has started expanding their palates and trying some new veggies. Meaning, I can sometimes get away with using green food in my recipes. YES, finally they are learning!

I still have to be cautious with exactly what kind of vegetables I use and how they are prepared. They are still not fans of raw veggies, in any way, but roasted is OK. So for this pasta bake I roasted up some broccoli rabe and mixed it in with all the yummy sauce and pasta. I was curious to see what everyone would think of the roasted broccoli rabe, but you know? They loved it, and everyone agreed that this pasta bake is delicious…veggies and all.

So here’s how this recipe works. Start out by making the sauce, which is just like a classic lasagna sauce, but can be made a little quicker if you’re short on time. If you do have time though, simmer the sauce all day long and then throw everything together before serving. If you’d like to make this ahead, you can assemble the pasta dish in advance and then bake right before serving. So really, you can make this recipe work whether you’re short on time, need to plan in advance, or have all day to let it cook. Gotta love a versatile recipe!

This is one of my new go-to’s, it’s easy to make and everyone loves it! Excited to see what my oldest brother, who is not normally in town, thinks of this dish…he’s a huge fan of Italian, so I’m thinking he’s going to love it!

Oh, and super important…a side of garlic bread! Because I mean, it’s Sunday and we all just need a little carby comfort food! Yes, please!

ps. all that roasted broccoli rabe makes this one count as a “Healthy January” recipe… 🙂

{This post is sponsored by Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!! }