Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta
This is a NYT recipe by Melissa Clark that I have simplified and adapted a bit and it is DELICIOUS! Loaded with Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella and ricotta and seasoned to perfection. @mostdeliciouslife.com
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage **I used turkey Italian sausage
- 4 tsp garlic, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼-½ tsp cayenne
- 1 28 ounce whole canned tomatoes **or diced
- 1 14 ounce crushed tomatoes **or tomato sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn **or 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- 12 ounce pasta of choice **cooked to al dente and drained
- ¾ cup water
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
- ¾ cup whole-milk ricotta cheese **6 ounces
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Heat oil in large skillet. Brown sausage until no longer pink.
- Add garlic, oregano and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes with juice...break up tomatoes with spoon. Add in crushed tomatoes.
- Add bay leaves and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove bay leaves.
- Pour into baking dish along with drained pasta. Add ¾ water and stir all together.
- Stir in about ½ of torn up mozzarella.
- Spread top with remaining mozzarella. Drop ricotta by spoonfuls and sprinkle with the parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with torn basil if desired.