Pasta with Sausage and Peppers
Source of Recipe
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List of Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
1 pound Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
Salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes or paprika or 1/2 small hot chili, minced
3 cups chopped canned tomatoes with their juices (divided)
1 pound short macaroni, such as ziti or rigatoni
1 cup white sauce (see recipe)
8 ounces grated mozzarella
3 roasted red or green bell peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup torn basil leaves (optional)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
Recipe
Coat bottom and sides of shallow oven-proof dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in 12-inch saute pan. Break sausage into pieces and drop them into pan. Continue to break up sausage with fork until pieces are pea-size. When sausage has lost its pink color, season to taste with salt, add hot red pepper flakes or paprika or chili and pour in 21/2 cups of the tomatoes, saving remaining 1/2 cup for top of dish. Cook until heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce has slightly thickened.
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot, add 2 tablespoons salt, then cook macaroni until it reaches this point: When you bite a piece, your tooth easily penetrates the outside but meets some resistance at the center. The amount of resistance varies from eater to eater. Drain in footed colander set in sink.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Stir tomato sauce mixture and 1 cup white sauce into cooked and drained pasta.
Scoop 1/3 of pasta into prepared baking dish. Scatter half the mozzarella, half the peppers, half the basil leaves, if using, and 1/3 of the grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Cover with another layer of pasta, the remaining mozzarella, peppers and basil and another 1/3 of Parmesan cheese. Cover with all remaining pasta and drizzle reserved 1/2 cup of tomatoes on top. Sprinkle on rest of cheese and bake on middle rack of preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese has melted and pasta is tender. Makes 8 servings.
White sauce
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
4 1/2 cups milk, heated
2 to 3 gratings of nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle flour on melted butter. Whisk constantly until you have a smooth paste. Working off heat will give you better control at preventing lumping.
Return pan to heat and cook 6 minutes over low heat, whisking often to cook away the raw flour taste. Do not allow paste to color.
Again remove pan from heat and pour in heated milk, slowly in a steady stream, whisking well to create a smooth sauce. Return pan to heat and bring sauce to a boil. It will thicken quickly. Stir in nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste and turn heat to low. Cook gently 30 minutes to blend flavors, stirring often and thoroughly to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom.
Sauce will reduce slightly and thicken. It may be used immediately, cooled and refrigerated 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Makes 4 cups.
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