I am letting you in on one of my secret weapon dishes: Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno. Creamy and zesty ricotta red sauce dotted with crispy, juicy sausage-coated al dente pasta under a blanket of gooey mozzarella cheese and finished with garlic-flavored panko… are you drooling yet? I am.
This Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno is one of those recipes that you can make over and over again and never get tired of. I LOVE making this dish when I’m cooking for any party, BBQ, or just hanging out with friends or family. It is easy to put together, can be made in advance, and travels really well. AND whenever people dig in, it’s always a fan favorite!! Be sure to make extra because the leftovers are even better!!!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno
- Perfect for gatherings: Make it ahead, and it travels well.
- Versatile: Customize with your favorite sausage or cheeses.
- Fan-favorite: Whenever I serve it, this pasta dish steals the show.
Ingredients for Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno
Sauce + Pasta
- Olive oil
- ½ Yellow Onion (small dice)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced, + 1 grated)
- Red pepper flakes or Calabrian chili pepper
- 28oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes (or blend whole tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- Fresh Basil
- Optional: 1 lb hot Italian sausage (crumbled; use half hot, half sweet for balance)
- 1 box Rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup grated Mozzarella (or mozzarella slices)
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
Ricotta Mixture
- 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano Cheese
- ¼ cup Whole Milk
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
- ¼ cup fresh Parsley (chopped)
- 1 Lemon (zested)
Panko Topping
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 clove Garlic (grated)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp Parsley (chopped)
- Pinch of Salt
How to Make Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno
- Cook the Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned (about 7 minutes). Remove and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In the same pot, sauté garlic and chili pepper for 1 minute, then add onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened (5 minutes). Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and basil, then simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Mix Ricotta: Combine ricotta, Parmigiano, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water, cooking 3 minutes less than the package recommends for al dente.
- Assemble: Combine ricotta mixture and sausage with the tomato sauce, then pour over strained pasta. Mix to coat evenly.
- Layer: In a baking dish, layer half the pasta and top with half the mozzarella and Parmigiano. Add the remaining pasta and cheeses. Cover with foil.
- Bake: Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes.
- Make Panko Topping: While baking, toast panko in butter with garlic until golden. Stir in parsley and salt.
- Finish: Remove foil from pasta, add panko topping, and broil for 5 minutes. Watch closely to avoid burning.
Serve hot and watch it disappear!
Tips for Perfect Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno
- Prep Ahead: Assemble the dish in advance and refrigerate. Add the panko topping just before broiling.
- Freezing Option: This dish freezes well. Thaw overnight and bake as directed.
- Customize: Swap out sausage for ground beef, turkey, or even mushrooms for a vegetarian version. Or omit the meat all together!
FAQ
Can I make this dish without sausage?
Absolutely! The ricotta red sauce is flavorful enough to stand on its own. You can also add roasted vegetables or mushrooms for a vegetarian twist.
What’s the best pasta for this recipe?
Rigatoni is ideal because its ridges hold onto the sauce, but penne or ziti work well too.
Ricotta Sausage Pasta Al Forno
Creamy and zesty ricotta red sauce with sweet and hot sausage under melty mozzarella… This is simple, delicious and definitely fan-favorite dish that EVERYONE will love. It is my go-to whenever I'm cooking for a party, BBQ, or just hanging with friends and family.
Ingredients
Sauce + Pasta
- Olive oil
- ½ Yellow Onion, small dice
- 4 cloves of Garlic , minced
- Red pepper flakes or calabrian chili pepper, to taste
- 28oz can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes, I also like to use whole tomatoes and blend them before adding
- 1 tbsp of Sugar
- Fresh Basil
- 1 lb of hot Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled (I like to use half hot and half sweet), Optional
- 1 box of rigatoni pasta
- 1 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano cheese
Ricotta Mix
- 1 cup of Whole Milk Ricotta
- 1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano Cheese
- 1/4 cup of Whole Milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
Panko Topping
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat in a large pot. Add the crumbled sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the garlic and chili pepper to the same pot. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and a few pieces of fresh basil. Cover and allow the sauce to simmer and reduce for 30 minutes. Stir every now and then. *Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine ricotta, Parmigiano, milk, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon zest.
- In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta 3 minutes below the regular package’s recommended cooking time for al dente.
- Stir in the sausage and ricotta mixture to the tomato sauce, then pour over the cooked and strained pasta. Stir well to coat and combine.
- Add half the pasta to a large baking dish, then add half the mozzarella and Parmigiano cheese, and finish it with the rest of the pasta and cheese.
- Cover the tray with foil and place into a 375 F oven for 15 minutes on the middle rack, or until the cheese melts.
- While the pasta bakes, make the panko topping. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the grated garlic, and after 30 seconds, add the panko. Cook stirring frequently, until it becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cut the heat and add in a pinch of salt and the parsley.
- Remove the foil from the pasta, add the panko topping, and finish on a high broil for 5 minutes, watching closely, to get a crispy finish.
- Serve hot!
How long to bake if made ahead of time?
We loved this recipe so much we are making it for Christmas! Can i make this prepare this and freeze ahead of time? How long to defrost and any additional baking time thoughts? Thanks!
Hello Alisa,
I am so happy to hear you loved the recipe ๐คฉ This can definitely be made in advance. Refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for two months. If working from frozen, transfer to the fridge the day before to fully thaw out and at room temperature 2 hours prior to baking. From there, bake as you normally would and finish on broil!
Hi! You said that you can prep in advance. How far in advance and do you bake ahead of time or just put it together? Thank you!
Hi! Iโm making this for Christmas dinner, and we canโt wait to try it! Your recipe calls at the end for mozzarella and pearls? Pearls were not in the ingredients so I wasnโt sure what that is?
Hello Karin! So excited for you to make this and share with your family. Sorry for the confusion. Mozzarella pearls are just little olive sized pieces of cheese that I like to use to leave gobs of cheese on the top. Can totally be swapped for sliced mozzarella in cubes or omitted altogether and just using the freshly grated shredded cheese. Really no wrong way to do ๐ Wishing you a lovely Holiday!!!
Would this be ok with turkey sausage? I don’t eat beef or pork.
Certainly!!!
I planned on making lasagna for thanksgiving and happened upon this on TikTok. Mind changed IMMEDIATELY. It came out so good with a few edits (I love extra spices and aromatics). And made it in layers Bc my pan was narrow in length!!! Canโt wait to share this with my family today. Thank you
Amazing! I make my own sauce too. My family loved this! Thank you for sharing your recipes! xox
Homemade sauce is the way to go!! A bit more effort for an AMAZING result ๐คฉ. I am SO happy to hear that you tried the recipe and your family enjoyed it โค๏ธโบ๏ธ
If the recipe was doubled would it go into the oven for the same amount of time or double? Iโm gonna try to make this for my husbandโs birthday ๐
Hey Destiny! Thanks so much for reaching out, that is a great question!! My tip for doubling the recipe would be to separate it into two different trays when it goes into the oven (just rotate at the end when broiling). If you make it, let me know how it comes out ๐
I want to make this bit with lasagna noodles. Would that work following same process? This looks bomb!
You know, I’ve never tried that but… wow does that sound AMAZING!! If you get to it before I do, you have to let me know how it comes out!
I usually never go out of my way to check a recipe on a website, i save the tik tok and forget about it but this looks like what dreams are made of ๐ญโค๏ธ iโll have to try this one ๐คค
๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ๐ฅฐ This comment just made my day!! Thank you so much for going out of your way to look for my recipe. I hope that you try it and love it. Please let me know if you do โบ๏ธ!!