Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
Advertisement
Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾pound bulk hot or mild Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1teaspoon dried oregano
- ½teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
- Pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
- 1(14-ounce) can crushed or strained tomatoes
- 2bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- 12ounces dried pasta, such as small shells, farfalle or other shaped pasta
- 8ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
- 6ounces whole-milk ricotta (about ¾ cup)
- ⅓cup grated Parmesan
- ¼cup basil leaves
- Black pepper, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
1011 calories; 53 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 23 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 47 grams protein; 1393 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch 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.
- Step 2
Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Step 3
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 a third of the mozzarella.
- Step 4
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.
Private Notes
Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.
Cooking Notes
Steel Magnolia
Rather than put four ounces of unused sausage in the freezer and four ounces of unused pasta in the pantry, we used the full pound of each, upped the measures of strained tomatoes, fennel and oregano by a third, and added a half cup of red wine. Turned out perfectly. We’ll put this one in rotation. The fennel and the fresh basil really take it up a level.a
Anita Kusick
Made (nearly) precisely as written. Deglazed sausage with a little Chianti. Tomatoes seemed a little watery to begin so added a little less water with pasta. Nice “collezione” orecchiette. Fabulous and fast!!
steve
Another Melissa Clark. She can do no wrong.
Mary Kay
No way would this fit in my 12-inch skillet. Transferred it to a Dutch oven. Delicious.
TomMom
Let me start by saying that Melissa Clark’s recipes make dinner time at my house easier, more interesting, and more fun for me as a cook. We eat better because of the talented staff at the NYT. This recipe was a big hit with everyone from the picky kids to the grandparents in attendance that night. I loved the ricotta addition. Whole San Marzano tomatoes are a must. I used orecchiette pasta and it was perfect.
Mark
Could we have the quantity of Parmagiano Reggiano in weight as well please? I buy mine in a chunk and my grater gives a very fluffy product so that I’m never sure how what I add matches the quantity called for in the recipe.
BBLRN
Because whole tomatoes are typically better quality tomatoes. https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/10/canned-tomato-types-and-use-what-kind-to-buy.html
Melissa
Slipped in about a TB of anchovy paste and subbed green lentils (1 cup) for pasta to make it gluten free. This was great!
kara
I replaced the sausage with eggplant to make vegetarian and was perfect - thank you,
Gloria
This could have been absolutely delicious, if I had par-cooked the pasta before adding it. As it was, the pasta came out with a consistency a little like glue, though the rest of the dish was very good. I will make it again, but cook the pasta at least halfway through first.
Bruce
Melissa, I made this tonight and it was quite good. The only thing I would change is pick a pasta that is “done” in maybe 7-9 minutes. I picked one that said 11-12 and it was still a tad chewy after the oven. But this is a terrific recipe. Thanks for another Melissa Dinner to add to my repertoire.
Sofia
Used San Marzanos for the sauce and vegetarian sausage, and went a little heavy on the ricotta because I am human... turned out very well as written - have faith in the amount of salt, it turns out to be right by the end.
Jack
OK, but texture and taste can be significantly improved. Texture - even when well broken up, the whole tomatoes are like random clumps of uninvited guests. Also, recipe is too dry and the cheese is not well integrated. Recommend replacing canned tomato ingredients with 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes and 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes. This addresses texture and adds liquid. Fold in at least half of the ricotta (4-ounces) into the pasta tomato mix - instead of using just as topping.
Alicia
Made exactly as written (except I added 1 teaspoon of sugar to the sauce) and it was perfect. Used rigatoni. I *might* parboil the pasta first next time before adding to sauce; sometimes one-pot pasta can taste a little gummy — it was perfectly al dente, but I don’t always love *all* the starchy taste that gets left in when pasta cooks directly in its sauce instead of in water that gets drained off.
Logan Spencer
Pound for pound, dollar for dollar, minute for minute—this is the most delicious recipe on NYT. Make it exactly as directed.
mam
This is great, the Italian sausage we chose had plenty fennel on its own. One thing I would change is maybe adding the cheese halfway through baking as it had sunk down into the pasta. We used a 12-13 minute cooking pasta and it was cooked perfectly. Had to broil for about four minutes too get a good golden brown bubble, but overall a delicious recipe and is now on the rotation.
HanTran
would make a great no recipe recipe / pan try cleaner no italian so used chorizo skinned and diced no motz so extra ricotta, cut up some habanero instead of pepper flakes can't imagine what would NOT be good in this dish
Victoria Val
This is such a simple and family-friendly recipe! I used bow tie pasta which cooks well and evenly in the sauce, and prepared it in a large cast iron skillet which does a great job of keeping it hot if you want to prepare it a little ahead of time. It is rich with all the cheese and makes a lot, so is good for a dinner party or for a few teenagers.
cam
Add eggplant Top with breadcrumbs. Look at comments for pasta type
Lucy
Followed the recipe, parboiling penne. Not being used to ounces, I used a quart of home canned tomatoes and so did not need water. Best baked pasta I’ve ever made.
Salah
I found the ricotta doesn’t really work here as much, add some more mozarella and spices and it made for one hearty meal!
Guy
Absolutely perfect! Only things i did different were: i didn't add the extra cup of water, and instead of 2tst salt i did 1tsp salt and 2tsp MSG. Baked in a 10x12 glass baking tray and it turned out amazing.
jfs
Add basil while simmering Cut the tomatoes with scissors Add a little ricotta to sauce Cook pasta 3 min then 1/2 the water Reduce salt
neurodrew
A quick take on the classic lasagna. I add roasted zucchini and eggplant slices
Beth S.
A tasty deconstructed lasagna. Will reduce Kosher salt next time. My daughter-in-law fixed this, but used a different pasta. I used the small shells; would prefer larger-shaped pasta next time. I lack oven-going skillet & Dutch oven; did step 1 in a skillet. I transferred the mix. to a lg. pot & proceeded with steps 2-3. Step 4 was in glass casserole dish (which overflowed). Def. the right cookware helps! Finding crushed tomatoes in store, weirdly, was an issue. We never found them.
Christine
This was easy, tasty, and excellent. Will definitely make again. Didn't have fresh mozzarella so used aged/dry--turned out just fine. Also used Kite Hill ricotta (vegan) and it too was excellent.
michele
I saved the little bit of sausage and tomato to use in meatballs the next day - worked great - love this recipe. The fresh basil at the end and twists of fresh pepper make it better in a grand way.
M.S.
I parboiled 16oz of ziti for 5 minutes before adding to pan. for the sauce, i used my own recipe. i ran the 28oz can of tomatoes through a food mill first. then added 14 oz diced tomatoes with 6 tsp sugar, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano, 2 garlic cloves using microplane, shredded basil leaves. added 1/2 cup water and simmered it for 20 minutes to help develop the flavors. I did not add any additional salt or oregano and only used 2 cloves of garlic when cooking the sausage. was not disappointed!
Lisa
Excellent. Used small dutch oven and it was full. Made with jarred sauce, added red wine instead of water for cooking. Used whole wheat noodles (called for 11-13 min), cooked for 7 then added to the sauce. Added chopped kale before noodles. Skipped ricotta but added extra mozzarella.
Barbara
This recipe as written will easily serve 6.
Private notes are only visible to you.
Advertisement
