Mmmmm . . . I love pasta. I love cheese. I love pasta sauce. I love this dish! The best part is, everything I need to make it is usually in my pantry.
What you'll need:
Penne pasta (preferably rigate-with the lines), chicken sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, pasta sauce-any flavor, butter/cooking spray, S&P and any other add-ins you may have on hand. We usually add canned mushrooms and roasted red peppers. Not today. Today, I just felt like being basic and boring and well, basic.
Oh, you noticed there's no Ricotta in the photo? Good for you. I plum forgot. No butter? Again, I forgot.
Did you notice the unmentioned spice bottles? Again, good for you. You see, I haven't been to Sprouts in ages. Sprouts is where I buy lots of wonderful things like fresh ground chicken sausage and sea salt in bulk. I used all the chicken sausage from the freezer, so I bought a pound of ground chicken at the grocery (the one that's only 11 miles from my house as opposed to 25) and added diced onion, minced garlic, dried thyme, basil & oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt & pepper. It wasn't as good as the fresh sausage, but it worked in a pinch.
Finally (I promise we'll get to the recipe soon!), did you notice the lovely blurry photo? I took it without the use of my trusty tripod. I tend to shake, which is why it is blurry. Well, the ridiculously poor lighting in my little 1950's kitchen doesn't help much either.
Here we go!
First, put on a large stock pot of water to boil. You'll need four quarts of water per pound of pasta. When the water comes to a boil, add a good handful of salt. The water needs to be salty-like sea water. Watch out, when the salt hits the boiling water, it has a tendency to boil up and sometimes over. Add the pasta and stir until the pot returns to a boil. Cook as long as the package directs, stirring occasionally. When al-dente, drain off the water, return to the pot and cover. I usually reserve a cup or so of the pasta water in case I need it later. (I LOVE how the red elements on my stove show up purple. Now, if LG had really made them purple, I might just forgive them for making a stove top that's so hard to keep clean!)
While the pasta is cooking, brown the sausage (or the chicken & spices) and drain the fat, if any.
Add in the jar of sauce and mix the chicken in. This is where I usually add mushrooms and roasted red peppers. On days when I'm not lazy feeling basic.
Now add one small container or half a large container of ricotta cheese. (In a dish like this, you can use frozen ricotta. It needs to come to room temperature and be mixed well before adding--it separates some when thawed and the texture is a bit different than fresh ricotta.)
Now add about a cup of shredded mozzarella. Warm through. I like to add fresh ground pepper to the sauce, but if you're not a fan of the pepper, well, just skip it!
When the sauce begins to simmer, transfer it to the pot with the cooked pasta. Mix well. Here's where I add the reserved pasta water if I think it's looking to dry . . .
Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray (or smear it well with butter) and add the pasta/sauce mixture.
Cover the pasta with 1/2 to 1 cup mozzarella cheese and sprinkle on the Parmesan! I like to add a few pats of butter on top too. Only I forgot. So, I left it in the oven a little longer than I usually would so that the cheese would be extra brown on top for My Man.
Finally, you can bake this at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or so (until it's all bubbly and browned on top) OR you can pop it under the broiler for about five minutes if you're starving and just can't wait!
Either way, you'll end up with an absolutely delicious meal straight from your pantry that didn't take much time at all!
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