Baked Shells with Sausage and Greens

Baked pasta doesn’t need to take every pot in your kitchen or lots of different steps. This weeknight-friendly meal uses one skillet, one pot, and plenty of cheese. It's the very definition of cold-weather comfort food.

Yield:
6 servings
Category:
Pasta
Cuisine:
Italian

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 12 ounces Fontina and/or aged cheddar cheese
  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp chopped sage, plus 10 leaves for garnish
  • 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, or 1 head of broccoli or a similar green
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 cups 10 % table cream
  • 1 pound ridged medium pasta shells, or rigatoni or orecchiette ears pasta
  • 1 yellow, red, or green bell pepper, diced

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Place racks in the center and upper third of the oven; preheat to 325°.
  2. Add several tablespoons of salt to a large pot of water. Bring to a boil (this is for your pasta).
  3. Grate 12 oz. Fontina cheese on the large holes of a box grater (you should have about 4½ cups). Smash 6 garlic cloves, peel, and slice. Pick all sage leaves from stems and set aside about 10. Finely chop remaining leaves (you should have about 1 Tbsp.). Trim tough dried ends from 1 bunch of broccoli rabe, then cut stems into 2" pieces. Leave leafy ends long.
  4. Heat a deep, large, ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add ¼ cup oil and swirl to coat. Add the shallots. Add the sausage to the skillet. Crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until the sausage, is browned, about 4 minutes. Stir a couple of times and continue to cook, undisturbed again, until sausage is fully cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
  5. Add bell pepper dice, add garlic

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