Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti
• 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups marinara or meatless tomato sauce, homemade or store bought
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the casserole dish
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 to 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Set a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta, and season it generously, using about 2 tablespoons of salt for 4 quarts of water. As it comes up to temperature, move on to the sauce.
2. Drop the sausage into a large sauté pan in rough pieces, then set the burner to medium. Let it cook gradually, nudging and breaking it into smaller bits as it browns so the fat has time to melt out. When the meat is cooked through and you don’t see any pink, lift it out with a slotted spoon and keep it nearby. Pour off the fat from the pan, just not down the sink unless you enjoy plumbing drama.
3. Add the chopped onions and mushrooms to the same pan, and turn the heat up to medium high. Cook them with frequent stirring until the onion looks translucent and the mushrooms have released some moisture. Stir in the minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes, and give them another minute to cook.
4. Pour in the marinara sauce along with the 1 1/2 cups of water, then return the sausage to the pan. Stir in the Italian seasoning and chopped parsley. Let the mixture come to a simmer, then lower the heat to the gentlest simmer your stovetop can manage and cook for 10 to 15 minutes while you deal with the pasta.
5. When the water is boiling, add the pasta. Cook it uncovered at a lively boil for 5 to 6 minutes, just to al dente; it still has oven time ahead and will drink up sauce in the casserole dish. Drain it when it is ready, then rinse it under cold water.
6. Transfer the cooled pasta to a large bowl. Toss it first with olive oil, then with the Parmesan, and finally with the 2 beaten eggs. Your clean hands are honestly the simplest tool here.
7. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Slick the inside of a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil.
8. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce across the bottom of the casserole dish. Arrange half of the pasta on top in an even layer, then spread half of the sauce over it.
9. Dot that sauce layer with all of the ricotta cheese, then scatter half of the Mozzarella over the ricotta. For the last pass, add what is left of the pasta, spoon on the rest of the sauce, and finish with the rest of the mozzarella.
10. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Take off the foil, then continue baking uncovered for 20 minutes. Pull it from the oven and give it at least 10 minutes to settle before you cut it into squares and serve.