Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ¾ pound bulk hot or mild Italian sausage (pork, chicken or turkey)

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• ½ teaspoon 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 of crushed or strained tomatoes

• 1 small eggplant, coarsely chopped (optional)

• 2 bay leaves

• Kosher salt

• 12 ounces dried pasta, such as small shells, farfalle, or other shaped pasta

• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

• 6 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 3/4 cup)

• ⅓ cup grated Parmesan

• ¼ cup basil leaves

• Black pepper for serving

Directions

YIELD 4 servings

TIME 45 minutes

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage and eggplant (if using)  into a skillet, using a spoon to break sausage 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 used), and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up.  Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and two teaspoons of 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 ensure the 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.

• 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.  If you like, top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red pepper flakes.