Baked Rigatoni With Ricotta And Sausage - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cups pasta sauce
1 cup pitted black mediterranean olive, coarsely chopped
salt
fresh ground pepper
1 lb rigatoni pasta
1 3/4 cups fresh ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a deep 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a large frying pan over med-high heat, warm the oil.
Add the sausage and saute, breaking up the sausage with a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes.
Drain any excess fat from the pan.
Stir in the tomato sauce and olives, season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta to the boiling water.
Cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions.
Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain again.
Return the pasta to the cooking pot and gently stir in the tomato-sausage mixture and ricotta cheese.
Spread the pasta and sauce in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
Bake until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.