Baked spaghetti

By Cheryl-4

Casserole of the spaghetti pasta sausage mushrooms and tomato sauce ricotta Parmesan and mozzarella cheese

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti
• 1 pound bulk sweet or hot Italian sausage
• 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion chopped about 1/2 cups
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups or 24 ounces of marinara or meatless tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing the casserole dish
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Put a large pot of water on the stove on high heat add salt to the water about 2 tablespoons for 6 quarts of water while the pasta water is heating continue with the next steps
Break up the sausage into clumps into a large sauté pan. turn the heat on to medium. slowly cook the sausage breaking it up into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon the slow cooking will help the fat render out cook until the sausage is cooked through no longer pink anywhere and lightly browned remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set-aside drain the fat from the pan. ( not into your sink or you may clog it)
Add the chopped onions and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high cook stirring frequently until the onions become translucent and the mushrooms have given up some of their liquid at the minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes and cook a minute more
Add the marinara sauce and the 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan with the onions and mushrooms. Add the sausage back to the pan add the Italian seasoning and chopped parsley bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to a very low simmer on the lowest setting on your stovetop cook for 10 to 15 minutes or so while you make the pasta
By this time your pasta water in step one should be boiling add pasta to the boiling water and cook uncovered at a rolling boil for 5 to 6 minutes, al dente. note that the pasta will continue to cook and absorb some of the sauce when it is in the casserole dish in the oven so the pasta should be al dente when ready drain the pasta and rinse in cold water
Place the cooled pasta in a large bowl toss with olive oil then the Parmesan cheese then two beaten eggs it's easiest to do this with your clean hands
Preheat your oven to 350°F rub the inside of a 13 x 9" casserole dish a Pyrex dish works great with olive oil spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the casserole dish
Place half the pasta in an even layer in casserole dish cover with half of the sauce then dot the ricotta cheese sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the ricotta layer layer again with the remaining pasta the remaining sauce and the remaining mozzarella
cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 350° remove the foil and bake at an additional 20 minutes uncovered remove from oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving