From Kitchen Swagger
Ingredients
- 1 pound of rigatoni or ziti
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- 24 ounces marinara or tomato sauce
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese, softened
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into bite-sized cubes
- ⅓ + ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 6-7 basil leaves, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bring a large pot of water with a big pinch of salt to a boil. Cook pasta al dente, strain, and transfer to a room temperature bowl or pot.
- Stir in ⅓ cup parmesan cheese and 1 ½ cups tomato sauce. Mix and set aside.
- Bring oil in a large pan or skillet to medium heat. Cook sausage and beef until browned and fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Break the sausage and beef into small chunks while Browning. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and set aside.
- The flavor of the dish can be adjusted by shifting the ratio between the sausage and ground beef—anywhere from all ground beef to all sausage works based on your preferences.
- The total amount of meat can also be adjusted if desired—up to 2 total pounds of meat works without adjusting the remaining ingredients.
- Take half of the pasta and layer filling the entire bottom of a 13X9 casserole or baking dish. Layer with half of the beef and sausage mix, and then half of the ricotta cheese.
- Spread the ricotta with a rubber spatula, doing your best to spread it thinly and evenly. It will tend to stick. It’s best to work in small dollops and spread as best you can.
- Repeat step 5 with the remaining ingredients.
- Layer top with 1 cup of marinara. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes uncovered.
- Remove from the oven, top with a layer of ¼ cup parmesan cheese and all the fresh mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 additional minutes or until cheese is fully melted and starting to turn golden.
- Sometimes a 2-minute broil at the very end will help deliver a perfect golden singe.
- Let cool for 10 minutes, top with basil, and serve cut in squares.