Baked Pasta With Merguez and Harissa-Spiked Sauce
A flavorful North African-inspired pasta dish combining spicy merguez sausage and harissa in a rich tomato sauce, topped with crumbled feta and baked until bubbly. The caraway and cumin seeds add warm, aromatic notes to this hearty casserole.
Ingredients
- •1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- •1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- •1 tablespoon olive oil
- •12 ounces merguez sausage
- •1 medium onion
- •4 cloves garlic
- •28 ounces whole peeled tomatoes
- •1 tablespoon harissa paste
- •to taste Kosher salt and pepper
- •8 ounces lumaconi pasta
- •3 ounces feta
- •½ cup crumbled feta
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grind caraway and cumin in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle; set aside.
5 min
- 2.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook sausage until browned all over but still pink in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice into 1" pieces.
10 min
- 3.
Add onion to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until soft, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and reserved spices. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing, and juices, then harissa. Cook until sauce thickens slightly, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
18 min
- 4.
Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente (about 3 minutes less than package directions; it will be firm in the center). Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid.
12 min
- 5.
Add sausage, pasta, and cooking liquid to skillet; toss to coat. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish, top with feta, and bake until top is browned and juices are bubbling, 18-22 minutes.
20 min
