Gluten Free Baked Penne with Sausage and Ricotta

Found in an old Food and Wine magazine; altered slightly to be gluten free:

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb gluten free Italian sausage, casings removed
One 28-oz can tomato puree
1 1/2 C water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground fennel
salt and pepper
1 lb gluten free penne
3 C homemade ricotta
1/2 lb fresh mozzerella, cubed
1/4 C freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat 1 T olive oil; add the garlic and cook over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat into small chunks, until browned. Add tomato puree, water, sugar, bay leaf, and fennel. Season with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until thickened, about 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaf and set sauce aside.

Cook penne in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to pot. Stir in the remaining 2 T of olive oil. Add about a cup of the tomato sauce-sausage mixture to the pasta and toss to coat.

Spoon 1/2 of the pasta into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Pour 1/2 of the remaining sauce over the pasta, spoon half of the ricotta in several large dollops over the penne, followed by 1/2 the mozzerella cubes. Top with remaining penne, sauce, ricotta and mozzerella. Sprinkle the Parmagiano-Reggiano over all.

Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and turning golden on top. Allow to rest 20 minutes before serving.