MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage & Ricotta
Categories: Pasta, Pork, Cheese, Herbs, Vegetables
Yield: 4 Servings
3 tb Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 lb Hot or mild Italian sausage
4 cl Garlic; thin sliced
1 ts Dried oregano
1/2 ts Fennel seeds; coarse
- crushed
1 pn Red-pepper flakes; more for
- serving
28 oz Can whole peeled tomatoes;
- undrained
14 oz Can crushed or strained
- tomatoes
2 Bay leaves
Salt
12 oz Dried pasta shapes
8 oz Fresh mozzarella; in
- bite-size pieces
6 oz Whole-milk ricotta
1/3 c Parmesan; grated
1/4 c Basil leaves
Black pepper; to serve
Set oven @ 425 F/218 C.
Heat oil in a 12" ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble
sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces.
Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to
7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, and red-pepper
flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them
up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and 2 ts salt, and bring to a
simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to
simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta
doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out
the bay leaves, and fold in about 1/3rd of the mozzarella.
Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta.
Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is
tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly
golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned
topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove
from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil,
plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.
Recipe by Melissa Clark
Recipe FROM:
https://cooking.nytimes.com
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