Cheesy Baked Pasta with Tomato, Sausage, and Ricotta

Ingrediente

SERVES 4

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces hot or mild Italian sausage (pork, chicken, or turkey)

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional), plus more for serving

1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes

1(14-ounce) can crushed or strained tomatoes

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons kosher salt

12 ounces pasta (small shells, farfalle, or other small shape)

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

6 ounces (about ¾ cup) whole-milk ricotta

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper, for serving

¼ cup slivered fresh basil

Instrucțiuni

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.

2. In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Remove the casings from the sausage and crumble the meat into skillet, using a spoon to break it up. Cook, stirring, until it's starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife and a cutting board, lightly crush the fennel seeds. Stir them into the pan along with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the whole tomatoes, using a spoon to break them up. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to thicken it slightly.

5. Stir in the pasta and 1 cup water and return the sauce to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the pan. Remove from the heat, remove the bay leaves, and fold in a third of the mozzarella.

6. Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Bake until the pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and the cheese is bubbly and golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a browner topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.) Let cool slightly before serving with black pepper and basil on top, and more red pepper flakes on the side.

VEGETARIAN UPGRADE

You can leave out the sausage entirely or substitute a plant-based sausage here.

VEG IT UP

You can add 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms along with the sausage in Step 2. Increase the cook time until the moisture evaporates from the pan, and everything is very browned.