Pasta with Braised Sausage and Ricotta Parmesan

Name: Pasta with Braised Sausage and Ricotta Parmesan
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 cups tomato sauce; 1 lb spicy or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing; 4 Tbsp freshly chopped basil, divided; 1 lb ricotta cheese; 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 lb penne pasta; 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 ingredients•8 steps•4 servings

Nick Stellino (www.nickstellino.com)

Ingredients

- 3 cups tomato sauce 
- 1 lb spicy or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 4 Tbsp freshly chopped basil, divided
- 1 lb ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1
Remove sausage from casing, pull and roll into 1-inch balls or disks. Lightly brown in a sauté pan and set aside.
2
Bring 3 cups of tomato sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Add the sausage and half of the chopped basil. Stir well and cook for 30 minutes.
3
While the sauce is cooking, pour the ricotta into a strainer over a stainless-steel bowl and let it drain for 15 minutes.
4
Dispose of the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Mix the drained ricotta with 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan and 1 tsp black pepper. Set aside.
5
Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot. Toss with 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil to keep separated.
6
When sauce is reduced and ready, pour about 2 cups of the sauce-and-sausage mixture over the pasta. Cook for 3 more minutes over medium-low heat, stirring well.
7
Pour 2/3 of the ricotta-Parmesan mixture over the pasta and sauce, stirring gently to incorporate into a red-creamy texture.
8
Serve topped with remaining ricotta-Parmesan mixture and remaining red sauce. Garnish with chopped basil.