2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
Kosher salt
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium bulb fennel, trimmed, cored and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28 -ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces )
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a
shallow 3-quart baking dish with olive oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the pasta and cook until very al dente; you
still want it to retain a little bite. Reserve
1/2 cup pasta water. Drain well.
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven over medium-
high heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is
hot, add the sausage and cook and crumble with
a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 4
minutes. Add the onion and fennel; cook until
softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and
red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is
fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and
season with salt. Bring to a simmer and add the
cream. If the sauce is too thick, add a little
water from the pasta. Turn up the heat to
medium high and simmer rapidly to thicken the
sauce and blend the flavors, about 10 minutes.
Add the rigatoni and basil and toss to coat the
pasta with the sauce. Remove from the heat and
stir in half each of the mozzarella and
parmesan. Transfer the mixture to the prepared
baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining
mozzarella and parmesan. Bake until browned and
bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes
before serving.
Originally Submitted
7/19/2016
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