Mostaccioli al Forno

I love making this dish. I mean love like how the Titanic loved the sea, only not in a sad, morbid sense but more of an “You Are The Water-To-My-Boat” type of meaning. And I think I love making it because really, I love, LOVE, eating it.  And so does my family.  So they love it when I make it so that we can all love eating it even more.  And I love that they love me making it because we all love eating it.

And what I’m really trying to say in this roundabout, backwards, yet forwards, incoherent rambling of a way, is that I love making mostaccioli, or Penne Lisce, or Mostaciolli al Forno. I love the scent of the Italian sausage browning in the pan, the chopping of the fresh parsley and basil.  The throwing around phrases like per favore, grazie and dov’e la toilette? (the few Italian phrases I know), and pretending that I’m from Capri.

And then eating it.

For this recipe, the ingredients are pretty simple.  There are only a few staples, and the rest of the ingredients are at the mercy of what’s in your fridge or how overboard you like to go with vegetables.  For me, I like to take things way too far.

The staples: 1 box penne noodles (tube-shaped with ridges) or 1 box mostaccioli noodles (tube-shaped and smooth), 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped, 40 ounces tomato sauce, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

The additions: 2 medium carrots (or baby carrots for added sweetness), 2 ribs celery, 1 medium green pepper, 1 medium red pepper, 1 zucchini, 1 small head of broccoli, a clove or two of garlic, basil, parsley.  Add as many or as few options as you wish.  I just use whatever I have at the time.

Okay, so the first thing we need to do is chop up all the vegetables we want to add to the mix. The finer you chop, the more hidden the vegetables will be in the final dish.  My family loves carrots and broccoli, so I leave those a little chunkier.

Then we want to bring water to boil and add the noodles. We want to cook to al dente, no mushy noodles allowed. They will continue to cook slightly during the baking process.

Next, heat up some olive or grapeseed oil in a heavy pot or skillet. Just make sure it’s large enough to hold all the ingredients, because I don’t believe in using separate pans for situations like this.  It goes against what I believe in.

When the oil is hot, throw in the onions and garlic. Stir them around for a couple of minutes. Then add the sausage. I use Italian turkey sausage. Based on our blood types, it’s just healthier for us, but feel free to use whatever makes your skirt fly up. You know, if you’re a girl.

Break up the links and cook thoroughly. Then add the rest of the vegetables and cook just until soft… Then add in the sauce. Here you can add in about 1/4 C minced flat-leaf parsley, and 8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade. A sprinkle of salt, pepper and sugar added help counteract the acidity of the tomato sauce.

Add in the drained noodles and cook for 5 more minutes. Here, my darlings, is where things get indulgent. I happen to love indulgent. Sometimes.

Stir in the Parmesan and half of the mozzarella cheese. Then spoon the mixture into oven safe casserole dishes and top with remaining mozzarella cheese.  If you can help from eating the entire dish at this moment, then bake covered for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, then uncover and bake another 15 minutes  For me, this recipe fills two of my casserole dishes, so I usually freeze one before baking, or bake both and give one away.

It makes a perfect, rich and yummy gift!  And also, makes it easier to find a babysitter when we need one.

Then… I think you know where I’m going with this… immediately plate it up.

And serve it to a hungry, adoring crowd with caesar salad and garlic bread.

Your life will never be the same.

Fresh Mommy Mostaccioli al Forno

1 Box Penne or Mostaccioli Noodles
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
2 cloves Garlic, Minced

1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Freshly Ground Black Pepper