Baked Pasta with Sausage Tomato Sauce

I really like this sauce, it's similar to the spahgetti sauce I made last month but instead it has only sausage, less tomatoes and red wine is added for extra flavor. I'm using it in this baked pasta and I was planning on adding sauteed mushrooms but I completely forgot... maybe next time.

 

Baked Pasta with Sausage Tomato Sauce

1 lb italian sausage {hot}

3-4 cloves garlic

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup red wine

1 tablespoon basil

1/2 tablespoon sugar

• In a pot over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook thoroughly. Add the garlic and continue to cook, about 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, basil and sugar, stir to combine.
• Simmer for about 1 hour.

16 oz cottage cheese {large curd}

1 1/2 cups italian cheese blend, shredded

2 oz parmesan cheese

2 oz romano cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

• In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until combined.

1 lb pasta, cooked

1/2 cup italian cheese blend

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the cooked pasta and sausage tomato sauce together.
• Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray and layer half of the pasta mixture on the bottom, followed by the cheese mixture and than the remainder of the pasta. 
• Sprinkle with cheese and bake covered for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

I served this with a side salad mixed with blue cheese vinaigrette. The salad mix I bought at the store was a basic spring mix with fresh herbs -- dill and cilantro were what I noticed most. I also put some of our roma "grape" tomatoes in it.

Ashley