Baked Pasta With Chicken Sausage

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• coarse salt
• pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup vodka (optional)
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes with juice, lightly crushed with hands
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 6 ounces fontina cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Recipe

• 1 bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. stir in garlic. remove from heat; add vodka, if desired. return to heat; cook until almost evaporated, 1 minute.
• 2 stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. season sauce with salt and pepper.
• 3 meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. add spinach, and cook just until wilted. drain, and return contents to pot.
• 4 add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. season with salt and pepper. divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes.
• 5 top with grated fontina and parmesan. bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.
• 6 note: if you freeze this dish, do not thaw before baking. remove plastic wrap, and cover with foil. cook until heated through, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. remove foil, and continue with step 5.