I have been wanting to make the Pasta Pie from Noble Pig for over a year.  If you have never seen this website, you must check it out. It is a food blog with beautiful photography.

Well here is my version, modified to make it a little easier.

Here is what you will need:

1lb Italian sausage (or ground beef)
1 box rigatoni
1 jar good quality pasta sauce (I used sweet red pepper and roasted garlic to complement the spicy sausage)
1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1-2 cups shredded mozzarella
olive oil
cooking spray
Spring form pan


Directions:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray pan with  cooking spray.  Boil pasta until slightly undercooked, then rinse and coat in olive oil. When pasta has cooled, mix in the grated cheese.  You must have the cheese to act as a glue to stand the pasta up. Meanwhile cook sausage, making sure there are no big chunks, because ideally you want to stuff the meat sauce into the pasta tubes.  After the meat is cooked, add the sauce.  Next start standing your pasta up in the spring form pan.  I found it easier to pour a big pile in the pan to keep the upright pasta from falling over.  When all the pasta is packed tight, start filling the holes. If I were to do it again, I think I would use a funnel and shove the meat with the the end of a spoon.  Bake in the over for about 10 minutes.  Take the pie out of the oven and cover the dish with as much cheese as you like.  Put back in the oven about 12-15 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown and bubble.  Take out of the oven and wait about 10 minutes.  Run a knife along the edges in case any pasta is stuck and remove the outer ring of the pan.

Serve on a pretty cake stand and wow your family. It was really easy!


Enjoy.  It is a really cool presentation.