Soon the weather will start to cool down and the lighter, summer inspired meals will give way to comfort food classics. This recipe is simple, a definite crowd pleaser and will quickly become your “go to” recipe for a quick, one dish meal. Serve with a lemony arugula salad and grilled ciabatta bread…simple, tasty and oh so satisfying.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-26 oz. cans San Marzano marinara sauce or any good quality marinara
6 Tbs. basil pesto
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 lb. penne or ziti
1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, 1″ dice or shredded
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 oz. bag baby spinach
DIRECTIONS
Preheat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sausage, after squeezing from the casings. Break up the meat and brown, for about 10-15 minutes. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the marinara and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until sauce thickens a bit, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto, salt and pepper. Take off the heat and add the spinach leaves and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 375*. Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish and spread a thin layer of sauce in the pan.
Combine the cooked pasta, diced cheese, 1/3 cup of Parmesan to the marinara and mix well. Spoon into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on top.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is a little browned. Serve with a simple salad and a good crusty bread.
NOTES
If your crew is not too happy with spicy, you can definitely just use a sweet Italian sausage or a combination. The choice is yours. Also, regarding the mozzarella, feel free to just shred it (instead of cubing it) or, for convenience, use the store bought shredded. Trust me, don’t stress over little details, the combination of ingredients is wonderful and no need to go crazy over the details, it will still be delicious.
