3 cups dry rigatoni pasta
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
4 hot Italian pork sausages, meat removed from casing
1 onion, chopped in a small dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juices
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
1 10-ounce package of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and place back into the pot you cooked the pasta in.
While pasta is cooking, heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add Italian sausage and cook for about 4 minutes until it just begins to brown. Break up clumps as the sausage cooks.
Add onion to the sausage and continue cooking until sausage is no longer pink, about 4 more minutes.
Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
To the sausage mixture add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper.
Bring the tomato mixture up to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove tomato mixture from heat, add cream, and stir well.
Add the tomato mixture to the pasta. Also add spinach, mozzarella cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan cheese, and mix again.
Pour the entire mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Place the casserole dish into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until the entire dish is hot and bubbling throughout and the cheese on top has melted.