'Food & Wine' Magazine'S Baked Penne With Sausage And Creamy Ricotta Recipe

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 pound hot or sweet Italian fennel sausage, casings removed
• one 28-ounce can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound penne
• 3 cups Creamy Ricotta (recipe below)
• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 quarts whole milk, preferably organic
• 1 cup heavy cream, preferably organic
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400u0b0F. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf and fennel. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove the garlic, mash it to a paste and stir it back into the sauce; discard the bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, cook the penne in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Using a slotted spoon, add the cooked sausage to the pasta, then add 1 cup of the tomato sauce and toss to coat the penne.
3. The baked penne can be refrigerated, covered, overnight. Re-warm before serving.
4. Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set the colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.
5. The fresh ricotta can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

extravirgin olive oil, garlic, sausage, tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf, ground fennel, salt, penne, mozzarella, freshly grated parmigianoreggiano cheese, milk, heavy cream, white vinegar, kosher salt

Taken from www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2008/11/food-wine-magazine-baked-penne-with-sausage-recipe.html (may not work)