Mostaccioli con Ricotta Recipe
This savory and comforting Mostaccioli con Ricotta recipe is a satisfying baked pasta dish that is perfect to feed a crowd! Featuring spicy Italian sausage, creamy ricotta cheese, and a tomato sauce that is to die for, this recipe is a hearty meal, perfect for your next weeknight dinner!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 561kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb tube shaped pasta like penne, ziti or rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb Italian Sausage I used chicken Italian sausage
- ½ white or yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 28 oz canned tomatoes or jarred pasta sauce
- ¼ cup dry red wine optional
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella separated into 1 ½ cups and 1 cup
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon rosemary
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- fresh basil for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
- Add a glug of olive oil to a large pot, pan, or dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Brown the Italian sausage and break it into smaller pieces as it browns. Once it is mostly cooked through, add in the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add in the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the salt and stir well.
- Add the canned tomatoes or a jar of pasta sauce to the pot. If using whole canned tomatoes, smash them with your hands in a mixing bowl or blend them until smooth before adding them to the pot. Stir the meat mixture with the tomato sauce in the pot. Add the dry red wine now, if using. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Season to taste with more salt if needed.
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella, thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, and egg.
- Once the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain and add the pasta into the pot of tomato sauce and mix well.
- In a 9x13 inch baking dish, take about half of the pasta and layer it on the bottom of the dish. Then, layer the ricotta cheese mixture on top of that layer of pasta and spread it out into an even layer. Top with the rest of the pasta, then sprinkle the rest of the shredded mozzarella on top with the grated parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish in foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then, remove the foil from the baking dish and bake for 5 more minutes to let the cheese get bubbly and golden brown. Option to broil for an additional 3 minutes to get some crispy edges!
- Remove from the oven and serve with fresh basil for garnish if desired.
Notes
Mostaccioli is a type of pasta that is tube-shaped. You can use any type of tube-shaped pasta for this recipe!