A bit of sausage goes a long way in flavoring the creamy ricotta tomato sauce in this quick, healthy pasta recipe. Serve with a green salad and crusty Italian bread.
Serves 6
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
6 ounces mild pork sausage, casings removed
1, 14 ounce can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt plus 1 tablespoon, divided
12 ounces thin tube-shaped pasta, such as pasta al ceppo
6 tablespoons part-skim
ricotta cheese
10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Put 2 quarts of water on to boil in a large pot.
Meanwhile, combine oil, onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and crumbling the sausage with a spoon, until the onion is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon of salt; cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt to the boiling water, stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until just tender.
Just before the pasta is done, return the sauce to medium-low heat. Add ricotta and basil, and stir until combined. When the pasta is done, drain well and toss with the sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Serve at once.
