2poundsrigatoni*Or penne or mostaccioli or cavatappi or rotini
1poundItalian sausage
3clovesminced garlicFresh or pre-minced
1tablespooncrushed red pepperOptional or decrease if sensitive to spice
28 ouncecrushed tomatoesOr diced
⅓cupvodka
⅔cupcream
1jarsundried tomato pestoAbout 6.7 ounces
½cupshredded parmesan
1teaspoonsaltplus more for pasta water
2containersburrata cheese**Or mozzarella
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 400°F and take out one or two 9x13" baking dish(es) depending upon whether you are making one or two pounds of pasta.
Heat a large, deep pan over medium heat, then add Italian sausage. Use a spatula to break up the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Remove sausage from the pan when it has browned all the way through.
Start pasta water now and cook pasta according to package directions, adding 1 tablespoon of salt to the water.
There should be enough fat in the pan for the next step but if your pan looks dry, add a teaspoon of oil before proceeding. Add garlic and crushed red pepper to the pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Then add in the crushed tomatoes and vodka.
Increase the heat to medium high until the sauce starts to boil, then reduce it to medium-low and allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the cream and sundried tomato pesto, then continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix the Italian sausage back into the sauce, add salt, and remove the sauce from the heat.
Add about one pound of pasta to each baking dish (easy if you are only making one pound), then pour half the sauce over each. If you are just making one pound of pasta, put half of the sauce into a freezer safe container instead. Carefully mix together the pasta and sauce, then spread the pasta evenly in the baking dish. Separate the burrata into smaller pieces and place pieces evenly over the top of the pasta.
Bake the pasta for about 15 minutes, until the burrata has melted nicely. Enjoy!
Notes
*You can either make two pounds of pasta at one time or make one pound and freeze the extra sauce for later. **If you're making just one pound of pasta, you only need one container of burrata