December's Recipe

Quick Cheesy Ravioli Bake

The Best 30-Minutes Meals (From the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated)

Fresh ravioli is preferred, but 1pound of frozen can be substituted.

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 TBLS olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBLS tomato paste
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
3 TBLS minced fresh basil
¼ cup heavy cream
Salt and ground black pepper
2 (9 oz.) packages fresh cheese ravioli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot.

Cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking meat up with wooden spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about five minutes. Drain meat and set aside.

Add oil, garlic, and tomato paste to skillet and return to medium heat until fragrant, about one minute. Stir in tomatoes and reserved sausage and cook until slightly thickened 8-10 minutes. Stir in basil and cream and continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about two minutes. Remove skillet from heat, cover, and set aside.

Add 1 TBLS salt and ravioli to boiling water and cook, stirring often, until tender. Drain and return to pot.

Stir sauce into ravioli and season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread mixture into 13x9 dish and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve.