Equipment Needed
- Large, deep skillet or Dutch oven (with a lid)
- Large pot for boiling noodles
- Colander
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Grater (if shredding your own cheese)
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, get your big pot of salted water boiling for the elbow noodles. Cook them according to the package directions, but for heaven’s sake, stop at al dente—they’ll finish cooking in the sauce later and you don’t want mushy noodles. I learned this the hard way; a pot of overcooked pasta turned my first attempt into more of a starchy paste. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in your large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spoon into nice, chunky crumbles. Let it get a good, brown sear without stirring too much; those caramelized bits are pure flavor gold.
Once the sausage is beautifully browned and no longer pink, push it to the sides and add the minced garlic to the center of the pan. The smell right now is just magical. Let the garlic sizzle for just about 30 seconds until fragrant—do not let it burn! Burnt garlic will make the whole dish taste bitter. I’ve been there, staring sadly at a skillet of acrid garlic, and it’s a lesson you only need to learn once.
Now, pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (juice and all) and the tomato sauce. Sprinkle in the dried oregano and red pepper flakes if using. Give everything a hearty stir, scraping up any of those glorious browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let this saucy, meaty goodness come to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. This simmering time is crucial. It lets all the flavors marry and the sauce thicken slightly. Your kitchen will smell like an Italian grandmother’s dream.
Time for the grand finale! Drain your al dente elbows and add them directly to the skillet with the sausage and sauce. Toss everything together until every noodle is coated in that vibrant red sauce. Turn off the heat. Now, evenly sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top, pop the lid back on, and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. The residual heat will melt the cheese into a perfect, gooey blanket. I’ve tried melting it over direct heat, but it can get a bit oily—letting it melt gently off the heat works better every time.(See the next page below to continue…)