Simple Baked Pasta

Name: Simple Baked Pasta
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 0 pieces Kosher Salt (Kosher salt); 1 lb Elbow Macaroni (1 pound short tube pasta, such as penne or ziti or, as here, mezzi rigatoni); 4 cup Tomato Sauce (4 cups tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite jarred sauce, see notes above); 1 cup Heavy Cream (1 cup heavy cream); 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano (1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (2 to 2.5 ounces)); 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese (8 ounces whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella, divided); 1 lb Italian Sausage (.75 lbs sweet or hot Italian sausage, optional) — optional; 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil); 9 oz Lacinato Kale (9 ounces Tuscan kale (pre-stemming), stemmed and roughly chopped)

A simple American baked pasta dish with pasta, tomato sauce, heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella, and optional Italian sausage and Tuscan kale, baked until bubbly.

60 minAmerican

Servings6

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Steps

1Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Boil the pasta for 6 minutes; then drain and rinse under cold water.
2Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pat dry with a dish towel. Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, parmesan, and 4 ounces of the mozzarella. Stir to combine.
3If you are adding the kale and sausage, place the sausage in a large skillet over high heat. As soon as it begins to sizzle, turn the heat to medium, and use a spoon to break it into smaller pieces. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally to ensure it browns evenly. Transfer the sausage to the large bowl, leaving the fat behind. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the kale and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, using tongs to stir and rearrange the kale in the skillet until it is wilted down. Transfer the kale to the bowl and stir to combine.
4Transfer everything to a 9×13-inch baking dish (or disposable foil pan if you are gifting to a friend). Top with the remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella. (If gifting to a friend, see notes above.)
5Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the edges are browned to your liking. Let cool briefly before serving.