Instructions: Serves 4

You dont have to make lasagna to enjoy the combination of ricotta cheese and pasta. This baked pasta dish combines ricotta, rigatoni, Gorgonzola cheese, tomatoes, and broccoli. Its just as good as lasagna, but it takes a lot less work.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and boil it, stirring occasionally, until it is just tender. Drain the pasta, and rinse it well with cold water.

2. In a large skillet, combine the olive oil and garlic over low heat.

Saute the garlic for 2 minutes or until the garlic releases its aroma (do not let it brown). Turn up the heat, and add the broccoli and 1 cup water.

Cook the broccoli, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. Add the ricotta cheese and the Gorgonzola. Stir the sauce until it is nearly smooth, and season it with salt and pepper.

3. In a bowl, combine the pasta, the cheese-broccoli sauce, the tomatoes, and 2/3 cup of the Parmesan or Asiago cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. (At this point you can refrigerate the mixture for baking later.)

4. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spoon the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the casserole.

Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes (or a little longer if the mixture has been refrigerated). Spoon the contents onto plates, and serve.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.