Ingredients

The following ingredients have 5 Servings
  • 12 oz tubular pasta, like penne, ziti, or rigatoni
  • 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 1 (24 oz) jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
  • 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instruction

  • Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned.
  • Pour pasta sauce and diced tomatoes with juices into skillet. Stir to deglaze the pan. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, if using.
  • Add heavy cream and cream cheese and stir until melted into the sauce. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low.
  • Transfer cooked pasta to prepared baking dish. Top with ½ of the mozzarella cheese. Pour sauce over top and stir gently until noodles are evenly coated. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.
  • Sprinkle ½ of the basil leaves then bake for 20 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.
  • Remove from oven to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with remaining basil leaves.