Supporting Healthcare with Pasta al Forno | Baked Pasta Recipe with Ricotta and Italian Sausage

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces fat while maintaining creaminess.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often less expensive.

Turn the heat to medium and add a little bit of olive oil to a large pot.

After 1-2 minutes, add minced garlic and diced onion to the pot and let them sweat.

Add canned San Marzano crushed tomatoes to the pot.

Stir in about 3 teaspoons of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.

Add fresh basil leaves to the sauce and cover to let it reduce by 1/4.

In a separate bowl, combine whole milk ricotta cheese, grated parmigiano cheese, whole milk, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and chopped parsley; mix well.

Remove casing from hot Italian sausage, drizzle with olive oil, and brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it into crumbly pieces.

Add the browned sausage to the tomato sauce once it has reduced and is showing pockets of oil on top.

Boil water in a pot for the rigatoni pasta, cooking it for 2 minutes less than the regular cooking time to keep it al dente.

Strain the pasta once it is overly al dente.

Combine the ricotta mixture with the tomato sauce and sausage.

Ladle sauce evenly over the pasta in baking trays, ensuring ample sauce to keep it moist during baking.

Top with mozzarella pearls and shredded mozzarella before placing in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and place the trays on the middle rack.

Bake until the cheese is melted, then move the trays to the top rack and turn on the broiler.

Watch closely while broiling to prevent burning, until the top is crispy.

Finish with chopped parsley and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens