Baked Penne

Baked Ziti…my mom used to always make it. For some reason it was always hard to find ziti pasta. So most of the time it really was baked “penne.” This is my version of one of my childhood dishes.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Baked Penne

4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces non-fat cottage cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 8 ounces whole wheat penne
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 links (3/4 pound)  hot turkey Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 16 (2 8-ounce cans) ounces tomato sauce
• 7 ounces (about half a 14.5 can) diced tomatoes
• 1 heaping teaspoon dried Herbes de Provence (can substitute dried Italian seasoning)
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves*
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• sea salt
• black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided

*I did not have any fresh basil on hand, but I did have the basil in a tube. I used the equivalent of that in the dish.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and spray 8″x8″ pan dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Whisk cottage cheese, egg, and 1/2 cup parmesan together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt the water and toss in the pasta; cook until pasta to al dente, 5-7 minutes.  Drain the pasta and set aside in the colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot/sauce pan over medium heat.  Crumble in the turkey sausage and cook until nearly browned.

Add in the onion and garlic. Continue to cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is completely browned.  Next, stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, herbes de provence, and 1/4 cup dry red wine; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes, remove from the heat, stir in basil and the sugar, and season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl/measuring cup whisk together the cornstarch and heavy cream. Transfer the mixture to the empty pot you used to cook the pasta in. Place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat, add the cottage cheese mixture, and mix thoroughly. Next add the tomato sauce mixture, 2 ounces fresh mozzarella, and 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.

Stir to combine.

Add the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly with the sauce. Transfer the pasta to the prepared 8×8″ baking dish.

Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and shredded mozzarella over the top.  Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil from the pan and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes longer.

Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm with additional shredded parmesan and mozzarella if you choose. I serve ours with cheesy garlic bread!

Enjoy!!

“Nothing improves the taste of pasta more than a good appetite.” – Italian Proverb