deconstructed lasagna

deconstructed lasagna. or baked pasta, you choose, either way, this was super easy, super satisfying and pretty damn good. good luck finding broccoli rabe around little rock, whole foods will order it for you or you can buy some that’s seen better days at fresh (ahem) market. a few changes i would recommend is; use chicken or turkey sausage, reduce the oven temp to 350℉, up the baking time to 20-25 minutes and cover with foil when you bake. & p.s., my liquid never bubbled, because i used 16 ounces of pasta rather than the 8 ounces  called for in the recipe ~ it worked, a tad dry just on the top, you'll want to use 8 ounces. this recipe comes from the Everyday Food series on PBS. here it is;

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 sprigs thyme
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 links spicy Italian sausage (3/4 pound total), casings removed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes
8 ounces medium shell pasta
1 bunch broccoli rabe (about 1 pound), trimmed and coarsely chopped
6 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden brown, 15 minutes (reduce heat if browning too quickly).

Add garlic and sausage. Cook, breaking meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, breaking them up with spoon. Cook sauce until slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes less than package instructions. Add broccoli rabe to pot and cook 15 seconds. Drain pasta and broccoli rabe and return to pot. Stir in sausage mixture. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish or divide among four 16-ounce gratin dishes. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until cheese has melted and liquid is bubbling, about 15 minutes.