Description
Family dinner heroes rejoice: Mostaccioli brings comfort straight from an Italian-American kitchen to your table, delivering hearty pasta layers packed with rich marinara and melted cheese that will make your family’s weeknight meal seriously delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients:
- 1 pound mostaccioli pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
Seasonings and Herbs:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Crumble 1 pound Italian sausage into a large skillet. Cook at medium-high heat until completely browned. Drain excess grease from the pan.
- Drop chopped onions into the skillet. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
- Pour in 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 15 ounces tomato sauce, and 6 ounces tomato paste. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon each of oregano and basil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Simmer at low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Fill a large pot with salted water. Boil 1 pound mostaccioli pasta, reducing cooking time by 2 minutes. Drain pasta thoroughly.
- Whisk 15 ounces ricotta cheese with ½ cup Parmesan, 1 beaten egg, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Heat your oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Spread a thin sauce layer across the bottom of the baking dish.
- Distribute half the cooked pasta evenly over the sauce. Dollop half the ricotta mixture across the pasta surface.
- Ladle half the remaining meat sauce over the ricotta. Scatter 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top.
- Repeat layering with remaining pasta, ricotta, sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes at 350F.
- Remove foil and continue baking for 20-25 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly.
- Allow the dish to rest for 10-15 minutes after removing from oven.
- Optionally garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.
- Serve the mostaccioli piping hot directly from the baking dish.
Notes
- Cook the pasta slightly under al dente since it continues cooking in the oven, preventing mushy noodles.
- Drain excess sausage fat completely to keep the sauce from becoming greasy and ensure a cleaner flavor profile.
- For a lighter version, swap Italian sausage with ground turkey and use part-skim ricotta cheese to reduce calories.
- Let the dish rest after baking to allow the layers to set and make serving easier, which helps maintain the casserole’s structure.
- Prep Time: 45-50 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 555 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 33 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg