serves
6-8
prep
20 minutes
cook
25 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6-8
people
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
25
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
The great thing about a baked pasta is you can prepare it in advance, and then just pop it in the oven when you are ready to cook it.
Ingredients
Topping
- 1 cup (250 ml) whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Pasta
- ¼ tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta
- 450 g (1 lb) rigatoni or other shaped pasta
- 3 tsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 450 g (1 lb) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (see Note)
- 1 large or 2 small heads broccoli, chopped into small florets
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 725 ml (3 scant cups or 25 oz jar) marinara sauce
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°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 ½ cup pasta water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large ovenproof pot or 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 flavors, about 3 minutes. Stir in the marinara and 1/4 tsp salt until fully combined. Add the pasta to the pan and sprinkle with ½ 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 ½ cup Parmesan cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Note
• Sweet Italian sausage usually refers to a pork sausage, often flavoured with fennel and garlic.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
The great thing about a baked pasta is you can prepare it in advance, and then just pop it in the oven when you are ready to cook it.
