For my pasta + hotdish lovers, you will LOVE this recipe! One of my favorites for comfort food, bulk meals (makes a lot or perfect for leftovers!), and even as a freezer meal to take to a friend, you just can’t go wrong with this one.

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Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Makes about 8 servings

• 1 lb uncooked ziti or penne pasta
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced (or 3-4 Tablespoons jar garlic)
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 container (15 oz) Ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh parsley or basil, optional – for topping

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rack should be top third of the oven.
• Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and set aside.
• Make your pasta. Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and set aside when done.
• Chop onion and garlic.
• Add sausage meat and onion to another large pot or wok and cook until browned (about 7-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the meat/onion mixture and cook another minute.
• Stir in crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, salt + pepper, and sugar. Let it heat through, about 5 minutes. Add the drained pasta and gently toss to coat well.
• Add half of your mixture to the casserole dish and spread evenly to make your bottom layer.
• Spoon ricotta over the pasta for the middle layer in small dollops every so often. You do not need to spread it, unless you want to (I do not).
• Spoon the remaining pasta on top of the ricotta to create an even top layer. You do not need to stir it.
• Sprinkle the Parmesan and mozzarella evenly over the top.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes (should be hot and bubbly). Broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese, if you’d like.
• Let cool 5 minutes.
• Add some chopped parsley or basil to the top when serving.

• The sugar helps enhance the tomato flavor of the canned tomatoes and can be left out if you feel strongly about it.
• While I don’t recommend removing the heavy cream, you can skip the ricotta if you want. It would still be good without it!
• If you don’t like Italian sausage, you could use ground beef or even uncased sausages cut into circles.
• To reheat in the casserole dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 20 minutes covered with foil.

I love this dish and would eat it once a week if the rest of my family would allow it. I serve it with breadsticks (because there sure aren’t enough carbs!), and we’ve done a simple Italian side salad alongside too, if you want to get some greens on the table.

I have also made this dish as a freezer meal for friends who are having/have had babies because it’s a great dish to just reheat in the microwave or oven (see note above) and hearty, especially for those breastfeeding. It can be frozen for about a month before it’s a frozen brick.

This is also a great dish to bring to a potluck or to cook in large amounts for family gatherings using the disposable tin casserole dishes that can be purchased at most grocery stores (be sure and get the one with the lid!)

Until next time,