Pasta al Forno
The greatest dish for cooking for a crowd
Over the weekend I shared a video of me making my pasta al forno recipe that I brought with me to a large holiday party I attended. I stand with this being one of the BEST dishes you can bring or make for a large group of people.
The reasons I love this dish:
It is so easy to make a big batch. Doubling or tripling the recipe is super easy to do here without increasing the workload.
It can be made in advance. You can prep this recipe up until the oven portion the day before!! When you’re 20 minutes out from eating, pop it into the oven and finish in the broiler… perfect every time!
It’s a crowd favorite. This is a dish that everyone will LOVE!! It’s simple enough for even the pickiest eaters, yet still exciting and satisfying for all foodies alike.
Without further to do, here is the recipe!!!
Ricotta & Sausage Pasta Al Forno
Ingredients
Olive oil
½ Yellow Onion, small dice
4 cloves of Garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes
28oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, I also like to use whole tomatoes and blend them before adding
1 tbsp of Sugar
Fresh Basil
1 ½ cups of Whole Milk Ricotta
½ cup of grated Parmigiano Cheese
¼ cup of Whole Milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley, Chopped
1 lb of hot italian sausage, crumbled (I like to use half hot and half sweet)
1 box of rigatoni pasta
1 cup grated mozzarella/mozzarella slices
1/2 cup panko + 1 tbsp butter, optional
Steps
Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add chopped up onion and garlic and sautè for 2 minutes until fragrant and softened. Add red pepper flakes to taste. Add in crushed tomatoes, sugar and a few pieces of fresh basil. Cover and stir every few minutes until the sauce reduces a bit. *Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Combine ricotta, parmigiano, milk, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and a handful of chopped parsley.
Make a small cut and remove sausage from the casing. Add sausage to a pan with some olive oil over medium heat until cooked through. Move sausage from pan to the pot of sauce and reduce the head.
In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta 2 minutes below the regular package recommended cooking time.
Add the ricotta mixture to the sauce with sausage. Combine sauce with the pasta and transfer to a rectangular pan. Top with grated mozzarella and pearls.
In a 350 degree oven bake the pasta for 15 minutes on the middle rack, or until the cheese melts.
Optional: add a panko topping. Heat butter in a small skillet over medium low heat until melted. Add in the panko and a pinch of salt and continually stir until golden brown. Allow to cool and then add in chopped basil or parsley. Sprinkle the panko mix over the top of the cheese and place the pan back into the oven on a high broil to get a crispy finish — watch CLOSELY to avoid burning!!!
ENJOY!!
Have a question? Feel free to comment below!!!
Tried it out? Send me a picture and leave a review!! I love to see how your recreations turn out ❤️