Sausage and Mozzarella Pasta Bake
Saying times are tough seems like the biggest under statement in the world right now. I mean, I was literally curled up in a ball on my bed sobbing last week. The world is on lock down, I can’t find a single chicken breast anywhere, forget about a roll of paper towel or toilet paper, the kids are now home from school for the next 6 weeks, and my 15th anniversary trip to Italy has now been canceled for the 2nd time! So, you can understand why I’m not my usual happy self.
But, there’s one thing that puts a smile on my face. One thing that keeps me going during this horrible time: cooking. I love to cook. I love to bake. I love shaking up cocktails. I just love being in my kitchen. There’s just one problem, with empty store shelves and lines around the block, finding ingredients to make delicious, healthy dinners isn’t the easiest thing in the world. So, I decided to look in my pantry. Turns out I have a lot of stuff stacked up in there. I have several cans of tomatoes, a few cans of beans, I have tons of proteins in the freezer, I was even able to snag a few boxes of dried pasta before they all disappeared. With that much stuff, I should be able to make at least a few meals, right? Right!
So, I went into my recipe arsenal and discovered there’s actually a lot I can make without ever leaving my house, which unfortunately is kind of the point right now. I can make chili. I can make spaghetti with or without meatballs. I can make tacos.I can make pancakes or waffles or even an omelet. I mean, who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner? Turns out the options are endless. Don’t get me wrong, I plan on doing plenty of take out to keep the local restaurants in business, but most of the week I want to make dinner for the family. So last week, thanks to some inspiration from Michael Symon, I made an easy pasta bake.
I love a good baked pasta. Not only is it super versatile, it’s easy to throw together and super comforting which we all need right now. There are so many options: you can use ground chicken, beef or sausage, but you don’t have to. You can use any kind of pasta you happen to have on hand, though, elbow, rigatoni or penne are probably best. You can even add a little vodka if you want. (You all know how I love my liquor.) As for cheese, because let’s face it, no pasta bake is complete without cheese, while I prefer mozzarella, you could just as easily use provolone or shredded Parmesan. Seriously, the options are endless.
Because there’s no set rule on how to make the perfect baked pasta, you can switch it up as often as you like. If you’re using sausage this week, try it without any meat next time. Want to add a little wine? Go for it! (And now you know which wine to have with dinner). In other words, you could make a baked pasta every week from now until whenever this crisis is over and they’ll never be the same. Or if you find a version you love, just keep making that. The bake will be delicious every time and you won’t need to run to the grocery store every day just to get a piece of chicken or a box of pasta (unless you really want to).
In short there is a benefit to this whole social distance thing: it gives each of us the opportunity to create in our kitchen. So what if you’re not a master cook? Turns out you don’t need to be. All you need are a few basics and you can make a great dinner. So the next time you venture out to the store, grab whatever you can and create! Sometimes total accidents turn into food masterpieces, masterpieces that can be enjoyed for nights and weeks to come.
Notes
Adapted from Food Network and Michael Symon
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 3 sausage links,
- 1 pound dry pasta like rigatoni or penne
- 2-3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 ounce) can petite chopped tomatoes
- 1/4 cup dry red wine
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant about 1 minute.
- Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Take the skins off the sausages, break them apart and add them to the onions and garlic. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook about 4 minutes less than the package instructions.
- Stir the tomato paste into the onion and sausage mixture. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and the wine until combined. Add the basil and oregano.
- Drain the pasta and mix it into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and top with mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve immediately with a nice crusty bread.
