1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 cup dry white wine
8 ounces caciocavallo or Provola cheese, shredded
1 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 to 8 pickled pepperoncini (depending on your tolerance or spice), stemmed, seeded, and sliced.
One 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound penne
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter a 9-by-13- inch baking dish. Put the sausage into a medium bowl and pour the wine over it. Crumble the sausage into small pieces. Toss the caciocavallo and grated cheese together in a bowl and set aside.
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and wine, and cook to reduce away the wine and lightly brown the sausage, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and pepperoncini, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to wilt, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, fill the can with 2 cups of pasta-cooking water, and add that to the Dutch oven. Bring the sauce to a rapid simmer, and cook until it’s thickened and flavourful, about 20 minutes. Stir in the basil.
Meanwhile, cook the penne until it’s al dente, 3 to 4 minutes shy of the package instructions. Transfer the cooked pasta to a simmering sauce with a spider and toss. It should be quite saucy at this point, so if it seems dry, add ½ cup pasta-cooking water and toss again.
Spread half of the pasta in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Top with the remaining pasta, an sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake until it’s bubbly all around the edges and the top is golden and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
