A hearty pasta dish with all the ingredients for a fantastic meal. This is great for Sunday family dinner or even entertaining a few friends. What I like most about this recipe is that all the prep work is done in advance so once it goes in the oven, there is nothing to do but wait.
Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
For the Topping:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Pasta:
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 25-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- For the topping: Add the ricotta, basil, and salt to a small bowl. Stir together with a rubber spatula. Set aside.
- For the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season well with salt and cook the rigatoni for 5 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large braiser or ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage to the pan. Cook, stirring often and breaking apart the meat with the back of a spoon, until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook to marry the flavours, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fully combined. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Toss well to coat. Add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce slightly.
- Dollop the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the top. Nestle the ricotta mixture into the pasta and cover with some of the pasta. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes:
- Recipe from Giadzy.