What I really enjoy about this Mexican pasta bake is how easy that it is to prepare. Most of the flavor in this recipe comes from green salsa. For the green salsa you can choose whichever brand that you prefer. The spiciness of the salsa you select is what is going to provide the heat in this recipe. If you are not a fan of spicy foods, I would recommend getting a mild salsa. The salsa is mixed with cooked pork sausage to give this dish even more flavor. The casserole is layered with noodles, the meat mixture and then Monterey jack cheese before being placed into the oven. After the casserole is done baking it is topped off with tomato wedges, sliced jalapeno peppers, and cilantro. The toppings really add a good amount of flavor to this recipe and the jalapenos provide a nice crunch. Enjoy.
Mexican Pasta Bake Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1lb bulk pork sausage
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 (16 ounces) jar green salsa
- 4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 2 Roma tomatoes (cut into wedges)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (sliced into rings)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 3-quart baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook while breaking up the meat into chunks with a spatula until the meat is browned and the onion is tender.
- Drain off any excess grease. Stir in green salsa.
- In the prepared baking dish layer half of the cooked pasta, half of the sausage mixture, and half of the cheese. Repeat layers ending with a layer of cheese.
- Place into the oven and bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 35 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Top with tomato wedges, jalapeno slices, and cilantro.
K L
Friday 20th of June 2014
My husband and I made this tonight. Awesomeness!! Thank you so much!