One Pan Meal: Cheesy Baked Pasta With Sausage and Ricotta--the Vegan Version
Simple ingredients. One pan. Full of flavor.
Here is my adapted version of a recipe published in the New York Times pull out section featuring 24 one pan recipes. Most of the ingredients are normal things you would find in your pantry, except maybe the vegan versions of the Italian sausage, ricotta, and mozzarella. If you are trying to eat a more plant based diet, this is a great transitional option.
My son (not knowing it was vegan) said, “Mom, I think this is the best pasta dish you’ve ever made.”
Enough said.
Cheesy Baked Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta (click here for the original recipe)
Note: I did not add salt and this dish had so much flavor, it didn’t need it.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package of Beyond Meal Hot Italian Sausage (it is not that spicy)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. fennel seed
2 pinches of red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz.) can of Cadia crushed tomatoes
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Muir Glen diced tomatoes with mild green peppers
12 oz. dried pasta (I used Montebello organic Strozzapreti)
8 oz. Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz— torn into chunks
6 oz. Kite Hill Almond Milk Ricotta Alternative
1/4 c. basil leaves, torn (I used local basil from Wind Ridge Herb Farm)
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in a 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Squeeze the “sausage” out of the casing into skillet and use your spoons to break into smaller pieces. Cook until starting to brown, 5 - 7 minutes. Stir in garlic, chopped onion, oregano, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook another few minutes until the onion is tender.
Stir in tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
Stir in pasta and 1 c. water. Return to simmer for 2 minutes, making sure to stir often to make sure pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of your skillet. Remove from heat and stir in a third of the Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz chunks.
Top pasta with remaining Miyoko’s Vegan Mozz and spoonfuls of the Kite Hill ricotta. Transfer to the oven, uncovered. Be super careful, as your pan will be completely full. Bake until pasta is tender and “cheese” is lightly golden, about 18 - 22 minutes. I started checking mine after 15 minutes, then every 5 minutes. Once the pasta is al dente (or to your liking), put your pan on the highest rack in your oven and broil for about 2 minutes, watching closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven, and let cool a bit before sprinkling the torn basil over the top.
This is an amazing dish to serve to meat eaters, who are sure that vegan meals wouldn’t be filling enough and could not compete in flavor.
Full credit to the original recipe published in the New York Times: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020811-cheesy-baked-pasta-with-sausage-and-ricotta