Description
A deliciously baked pasta dish featuring Italian sausage, ricotta, and mozzarella cheeses.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb short pasta (rigatoni, ziti, penne, rotini, etc.)
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 small onion (small diced)
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- ½ c parmesan cheese
- 3½ c shredded mozzarella cheese (separated)
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 3–4 garlic cloves (minced)
- ½ tsp sea salt (more or less as desired)
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- ¼ c fresh basil, chopped (more for topping)
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 4 c marinara sauce
Instructions
- Start a large pot of water for the pasta, bring to a rolling boil and then cook pasta to just under al dente according to package instructions. Drain and drizzle with a touch of olive oil to prevent it from sticking together.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a skillet to medium-high heat and add olive oil. When olive oil is hot and glistening, add the onion and sauté until they start to become translucent.
- Add the Italian sausage and break down into smaller pieces and brown. Internal temperature should reach 165°F. When cooked, drain any excess grease and set aside the sausage cools.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, chopped basil, seasoning, salt, black and red pepper and garlic. Stir the cheese mixture well to combine. Add the cooked pasta and browned Italian sausage to the cheese mixture when it is all cooked.
- Lightly spray the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan with oil. Add about 2 cups of marinara to the bottom of the pan and spread to allow it to cover the bottom completely the pasta mixture to the pan and spread evenly.
- Cover the pasta with remaining 2 cups of marinara sauce. Sprinkle over the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in 375°F preheated oven for about 20 minutes and then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted and pasta is bubbling.
- You can broil on high for the last 2-3 minutes for that golden brown topped melty cheese if desired to cool for 10 minutes and top with more freshly chopped basil before serving.
Notes
- Can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator before baking.
- For a spicier dish, add more red pepper flakes or use spicy Italian sausage.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 100mg