Are you tired of dirtying multiple pots and pans just to get dinner on the table? Well, you’re in for a real treat. This sausage pasta is your Hail Mary to the typical weeknight dinner conundrums. There’s very few ingredients and half of them I’m sure you already have in your kitchen. Browned Italian sausage and garlic mixed with a time saving pre-made tomato sauce topped with dollops of ricotta cheese then baked to perfect with lots of grated mozzarella. Dinner ready in less than 30 minutes or your money back!
This recipe is my go-to when I want to eat something hearty and easy. I always have a jar of premade marinara sauce in my cupboards for just this very reason. Somedays during the week I am craving comfort. This is comfort to the MAX, especially because it takes hardly no time. The trick to weeknight dinners is to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible.
If you’ve ever had baked ziti before, this is the faster weeknight version of it. Mix up some ricotta with parmesan and a beaten egg then dollop on top of your pasta before baking. The ricotta put a creamy twist on any pasta recipes and extra protein to your recipe. You can add this to almost any pasta bake to amp it up.
A pasta recipe that is less than six ingredients that you have no excuse to not make. No mess, a box of pasta, and one pot is all you need. Impress your friends with this showstopper, make this for your family when you’re visiting to show off you culinary chops. The secret is in the semi-homemade. You’re going to love it!
One-Pot Sausage Pasta
For pasta:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 32 oz. store-bought marinara sauce (Raos)
- 12 oz. rigatoni pasta
- 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
For ricotta:
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta ingredients and lightly season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Preheat a Dutch oven pot over medium heat with olive oil.
- Add Italian sausage and brown. Add garlic cloves before the sausage is fully browned. Once garlic and sausage are browned add marinara sauce to the pan and reduce heat to low.
- Stir in the cooked pasta then top evenly with dollops of ricotta cheese close to the center. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes until cheese is slightly golden.