Name: Skillet Penne with Olives and Capers
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 2 cups water; 12 ounces penne pasta; 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved; 1/4 cup capers, rinsed; 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil; 6 ounces Italian cheese blend, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

Why This Recipe Works

The typical baked pasta requires a stovetop full of sputtering pots used to brown the meat, simmer the sauce, and cook the pasta. We streamlined the dish using just one skillet. Convenience aside, cooking the penne in the sausage-fortified sauce infused the pasta with flavor as it tenderized, resulting in an undeniably superior dish. And a final sprinkle of cheese and a flash in a hot oven yielded a baked penne we can’t get enough of.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Cook sausage, breaking into pieces, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in tomatoes, water, and pasta. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until pasta is al dente, about 7 minutes. Stir in olives, capers, and basil. Sprinkle with cheese and bake until cheese begins to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve.