Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta
Created by P.Raff on April 25, 2023
- Servings: 4
- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 25-30m
- Recipe #40545
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 package Sweet or Hot Italian sausage- diced
- 3 cloves of garlic crushed and minced.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt
- 28 ounce (1 jar) of your favorite Marinara sauce
- 12 ounce dried pasta such as farfalle or small shells
- 8 ounce shredded mozzarella (or fresh mozzarella torn into bite-sized pieces
- 6 ounce whole milk ricotta
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup basil leaves
- Black pepper for serving
How to Make
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Step 1: Heat oven to 425 degrees.
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Step 2: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
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Step 3: Added sausage into skillet and cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
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Step 4: Stir in garlic, oregano, and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
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Step 5: Stir in marinara sauce, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
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Step 6: Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer.
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Step 7: Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
How to Make
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Step 8: Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
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Step 9: Pour the pasta and sauce mixture into a 9x13 baking dish or stoneware.
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Step 10: Stir in the dollops of ricotta and top pasta with remaining mozzarella.
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Step 11: Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven.
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Step 12: Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 20-26 minutes.
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Step 13: (If you’d like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.)
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Step 14: Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving.
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Step 15: Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.