MOSTACCIOLI—MID-WEST’S FAVORITE PASTA

For some reason, this absolutely delicious pasta dish hasn’t traveled much east of Ohio.  The ingredients are easy to find, the prep is quick and simple, and with a salad and some crusty bread, it’s dinner!!  Mostaccioli pasta might not be easy to find, but any short, round pasta, penne, ziti, or even rigatoni, as shown, works fine.

• 1 lb pasta
• 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 jar (24 oz) good marinara sauce—or home-made sauce
• 15 oz tub ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• Oregano, or mixed Italian seasoning, to taste
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Cook pasta in boiling salted water, to al dente—it will cook more during baking.  Drain and return pasta to cooking pot.  In a large skillet, brown the Italian sausage, garlic and onions in a little olive oil until cooked through.  Add the marinara sauce and seasoning, then simmer for about 5 minutes.  Pour the meat sauce over the cooked pasta and stir to combine.  In a separate bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.—mix well.  Use a little olive oil to prepare a 3-quart casserole dish and preheat the oven to 350’.  Pour half of the pasta/sauce mixture into the baking dish—then spread the ricotta mixture evenly across the pasta.  Top with remaining pasta mixture and spread the other 1 cup mozzarella on top.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes—then remove foil and bake for 10-12 more minutes, until cheese is melted and a little browned.  Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with dish of grated parmesan cheese.

The Kitchen Hive