Ingredients
½ lb rigatoni pasta, (or ziti pasta)
water
salt
1 tbsp. oil
¼ cup ricotta
¼ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¼ cup cream cheese, softened
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, (grated, plus more for serving)
¼ cup Romano cheese, shredded
2 eggs, large, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
oil, for frying
marinara sauce
alfredo sauce
parsley, chopped
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt.
Add pasta and cook until al dente (2 minutes less than the recommended time from the package).
Drain the pasta and add olive oil. Stir to coat. Set aside to cool.
While pasta is cooking, you can make the filling. In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, mozzarella, cream cheese, parmesan, and Romano cheese. Stir until combined.
Spoon the cheese mixture into a zip-top bag. Seal the bag and cut the corner.
Pipe the cheese mixture into one side of the rigatoni. Flip and pipe the other side to fill.
Place the filled rigatoni pasta on a baking sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot until it reaches 350 degrees F.
Place eggs, flour, and bread crumbs into 3 separate bowls.
Place a stuffed rigatoni into the flour to coat, then shake off excess flour. Dip it in the beaten egg with a fork. Then roll the rigatoni in bread crumbs to coat. Repeat with the rest of the rigatoni.
Carefully lower 5 to 6 pieces of breaded rigatoni into the hot oil using a slotted spoon. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the cheeses just start to ooze out.
Remove to a plate lined with paper towels using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the rest of the rigatoni.
Sprinkle with parmesan and optional chopped parsley. Serve with marinara sauce or Alfredo sauce.
