Jennys Cheesy Stuffed Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe 45

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta and remove from heat 1 minute before suggested cook time; drain and set aside. Cook and stir sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked. Drain and return to skillet. Stir in sauce, Italian seasoning, salt and cooked pasta. Layer half of pasta mixture in a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Mix ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Spread over pasta. Top with remaining pasta and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with parsley. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and cheese is melted.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Crumble sausage into skillet, using a spoon to break it into small pieces. Cook until starting to brown, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, fennel seeds and red-pepper flakes (if using), and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
• Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, using a spoon to break them up. Add crushed tomatoes, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
• Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, pluck out the bay leaves, and fold in about a third of the mozzarella.
• Top pasta with remaining mozzarella and dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with Parmesan, then transfer to oven. Bake until pasta is tender when poked with a fork, and cheese is bubbly and lightly golden, 18 to 22 minutes. (If you'd like a more deeply browned topping, run the pan under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes.) Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Top with basil, plenty of black pepper, and more red-pepper flakes, if you like.