Baked Pasta with Sausage and Cheese
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lb. hot or sweet bulk sausage
- 6 garlic cloves sliced or minced
- 1 tblsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
- 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
- 3 tsp. salt
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 lb. short pasta (shells, rigatoni, farfalle)
- ½ lb. fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- ½ cup shaved, shredded or grated parmesan
- ½ cup torn basil leaves, for garnish
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°. Heat oil in large oven proof skillet add sausage, brown and break up while cooking until no longer pink.
- Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Cook a few minutes more.
- Add whole tomatoes and juices and tomato sauce. Break up whole tomatoes while cooking.
- Add salt and bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Stir in pasta and water and stir to combine, bring back to a simmer and add half of mozzarella and stir to combine.
- Turn off heat.
- Drop rest of mozzarella over skillet and place dollops of ricotta over pasta and sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake skillet in oven for 20-25 minutes, check pasta to make sure it’s cooked.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with basil and fresh ground pepper before serving.