Cheesy Baked Ravioli with Sausage and Tomato Sauce

 

‘When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d’ is one of the most famous poems by the American poet, Walt Whitman (1819-92). Across 206 lines of innovative free verse, Whitman offers an elegy for Abraham Lincoln, who had been assassinated shortly before Whitman wrote the poem. You can read ‘When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d’ here

 Al Fresco Dining 

Cheesy Baked Ravioli with Sausage and Tomato Sauce 

Cook's Notes: Comfort food that's family-friendly, freezable, make-ahead and can be a vegetarian dish when omitting the meat. It's a hearty and delicious meal, easily halved. Make the tomato/meat sauce a day ahead for flavors to meld. Add some creativity to your sides and use a fun glass like a margarita one. Fill glass with fresh fruit or your favorite salad. 

Ingredients:

• 1lb. sweet Italian sausage
• 1- 20 oz. All-natural 4 Cheese Ravioli (I used a refrigerated Buitoni product) 
• 1-24 oz. jar marina sauce
• 1-14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes garlic and basil 
• 1 teaspoon each Italian seasoning and parsley 
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Fresh basil
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

• Brown meat, crumble, and set aside.
• In a large saucepan add crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce, spices, and sugar. 
• Mix well and cook on low heat for 25 minutes. Stir in crumbled sausage. 
• Refrigerate until assembly. 
• On the bottom of a 2.1 qt. baking dish spread out 3/4 cup of the meat sauce. 
• Spread ravioli evenly over the sauce. (No need to cook ravioli ahead)  Add rest of meat sauce. 
• Sprinkle chopped basil, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese over the dish. 
• Bake uncovered @350 degrees for 30 minutes.