This dish rivals pizza in my family’s affections. Whenever the skillet comes out of the oven, cheese browned, rich sauce bubbling, you can feel the anticipation in the room. The melted cheese in the sauce, combined with baked cheese on top, makes every mouthful rich and satisfying. I’ve eaten in cold for lunch, reheated it for dinner, and snacked on it in between meals.
It never disappoints. It is also very forgiving. If you don’t have quite the right amount of ricotta or mozzarella or forgot the fennel or accidentally used tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes, that is ok. It understands and it will still taste good.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausages, removed from casings 4 garlic cloves, diced 1 teaspoon dried oregano pinch of ground fennel 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with their juices 1 (14-ounce) can crushed or strained tomatoes Kosher salt 12 ounces dried pasta (I use fusilli) 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces 6 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about ¾ cup) ⅓ cup grated Parmesan ¼ cup basil leaves
Instructions
Heat oven to 425. Place olive oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or other oven safe skillet. Cook sausage, breaking up with a spoon or spatula, until no longer pink and mostly done. Stir in garlic and spices and cook for another two minutes
Add can of whole tomatoes, with juices, and break apart with spoon or potato masher. Add can of crushed tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of salt and simmer for ten minutes.
Stir in pasta and 1 cup water and return to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir 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. Remove from oven and serve, topped with basil.