Lasagna-ish Pasta
All the best parts of lasagna—spicy tomato sauce, Italian sausage, creamy ricotta, bubbly mozzarella and plenty of Parmesan—without actually having to make lasagna. This one-pot-ish version comes together in a Dutch oven and goes straight into the oven until the pasta is tender and the cheese is golden and melty. Cozy, cheesy and way easier than layering noodles.
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed if necessary
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
14 ounces water
16 ounces dried medium-sized pasta, such as rigatoni, farfalle or trottole
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces whole milk ricotta
⅓ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Extra virgin olive oil, for finishing
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Heat the olive oil in a large, oven-safe Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 7–10 minutes, breaking it into bite-size crumbles with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through.
Add the garlic, oregano, crushed fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for another 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the whole peeled tomatoes and their juices, breaking the tomatoes into smaller pieces with your spoon. Be careful—they like to squirt.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Season generously with salt and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fill the empty 14-ounce crushed tomato can with water and add it to the pot. Add the uncooked pasta and stir well, making sure the pasta is coated in sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat. Fold in about one-third of the mozzarella.
Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Finish with the grated Parmesan.
Transfer the uncovered Dutch oven to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and top with torn basil, additional red pepper flakes, more Parmesan and a generous glug of good olive oil. Serve hot.
Serving Suggestions
A simple arugula salad dressed with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper
Garlic bread or warm, crusty bread for scooping up the extra sauce
Roasted broccoli or broccolini for something green
A simple Caesar salad for full Italian-American comfort-food mode
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or cover and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through. A splash of water or extra tomato sauce before reheating will help loosen everything back up.
You can also freeze the baked pasta for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Maddie's Tip
Go big on the Dutch oven. I learned this one the hard way. Between a pound of pasta, all that tomato sauce and three different cheeses, this recipe needs more room than you think. Use your biggest oven-safe Dutch oven so you can actually stir everything without launching rigatoni across your kitchen.
And about those bay leaves: I never fish them out. If you end up with one in your bowl, consider it a year of good luck.
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