Baked Rigatoni Cake

This may be one of the easier dinners I make in terms of ingredients but it has never failed to impress. It may be the fact that I can make pasta stand up straight that wows people when I make this.This is a kid friendly meal straight out of Martha Stewart Kids (I miss that magazine so much!) that adults always gobble up. Kiddos probably would too but I've never served this to them.

Amazing friend brought over some garlic bread to go with dinner -
Little One was excited!

A spring form pan is an absolute must to get this to stand. I used ground turkey (as usual) and threw in a little Italian Seasoning for some extra flavor. No butter required for the pan, a cooking spray work just as well.

• Salt
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground meat (beef, pork, or turkey)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• Butter for pan
• 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Add pasta; cook until slightly underdone. Drain, rinse in cold water, and drain. Toss pasta with 1 tablespoon oil to coat. Set aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more. Add tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
   
3. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.
   
4. Spread 2 cups meat sauce on top of pasta, pushing it into holes. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Bake until cheese is pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes more. Remove from oven, and let stand 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen; unmold. Cut into wedges. Serve with remaining sauce.
   

http://www.marthastewart.com/261794/baked-rigatoni-cake