Simple Baked Pasta

This is the very simple baked pasta I've been making for roughly the last 6 months for various reasons: my daughter's soccer team's pasta party, a friend who had a baby, a friend who lost a husband, a friend who had a fire. It is delicious without any add-ins, but I prefer it with kale and sausage for the added flavor and textural elements they offer. Roasted mushrooms in place of the kale and sausage is also a variation I love. Notes: Sauce: I do prefer using a homemade sauce when I have the time, but I have made this plenty of times with jarred Rao's: I pour a bottle of the vodka sauce into my 4-quart measure; then make up the difference with Rao's marinara. For mixing the pasta pre-baking, a very large bowl is so handy. If gifting to a friend, make the recipe through step 4, then cover with foil, and write in Sharpie on top: Bake uncovered @375ºF for 35 minutes.

📝 Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound short tube pasta, such as penne or ziti or, as here, mezzi rigatoni
• 4 cups tomato sauce, homemade or your favorite jarred sauce, see notes above
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (2 to 2.5 ounces)
• 8 ounces whole milk, low-moisture mozzarella, divided
• .75 lbs sweet or hot Italian sausage, optional
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 9 ounces Tuscan kale (pre-stemming), stemmed and roughly chopped

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Boil the pasta for 6 minutes; then drain and rinse under cold water.
2. 2Transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Pat dry with a dish towel. Add the tomato sauce, heavy cream, parmesan, and 4 ounces of the mozzarella. Stir to combine.
3. 3If you are adding the kale and sausage, place the sausage in a large skillet over high heat. As soon as it begins to sizzle, turn the heat to medium, and use a spoon to break it into smaller pieces. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occassionally to ensure it browns evenly. Transfer the sausage to the large bowl, leaving the fat behind. Add 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet and set over medium-high heat. Add the kale and season with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, using tongs to stir and rearrange the kale in the skillet until it is wilted down. Transfer the kale to the bowl and stir to combine.
4. 4Transfer everything to a 9×13-inch baking dish (or disposable foil pan if you are gifting to a friend). Top with the remaining 4 ounces of mozzarella. (If gifting to a friend, see notes above.)
5. 5Transfer to the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly and the edges are browned to your liking. Let cool briefly before serving.