Cheesy Pasta Bake

Steps

• 1

  Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• 2

  Cook pasta until just al dente.
• 3

  Heat olive oil in a pot or Dutch oven. Remove the sausage from the casings and add in. Break up the meat as it cooks.
• 4

  Add onion and garlic to the meat, along with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

  
• 5

  When the onion starts to soften, add the crushed tomatoes.
• 6

  Stir in a few handfuls of spinach and bring the sauce to a simmer.

  
• 7

  After simmering for about 10 minutes, stir in 1/3 cup ricotta cheese. Taste again and add more salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes to your liking.

  
• 8

  Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce.

  
• 9

  Transfer 1/3 of the pasta to a baking dish.
• 10

  Top with a dusting of parmesan cheese, a few small dollops of ricotta, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

  
• 11

  Repeat this again with more pasta/ricotta/parmesan/mozzarella, then a final layer of pasta followed by a final bit of mozzarella cheese.
• 12

  Bake the pasta for 20 minutes until the cheese on top is melted. Broil on low for 1-2 minutes if you like the top a little crisp. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
• 13

  Serve on Chinet Classic® plates.