There’s many different stages to this motherhood thing.  Maybe you still have kids you get to tuck in their beds every night, maybe you are sleepless on the weekends waiting for headlights to appear in the driveway, or maybe you are just plain waiting for any one of your children to come home from where ever they reside right now.  Whatever stage you are in, I’m sure you will agree — there’s nothing like hearing these three words — “Something smells good!”

Today I give you a super easy recipe — great for a stay-at-home Saturday night.  I found this recipe in The Best One-Dish Supers cookbook from the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine.  You may have to double it. (Use a larger frying pan.)  It’s that good!

1 (28-ounce ) can whole tomatoes; 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed; 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 1 1/2 cups water; 8 ounces (2 1/2 cups) ziti; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch pieces; salt and ground black pepper; 1/3 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated; 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves; 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 1/2 cups)

1.  Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. 2.  Cook the sausage in a 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Stir in your tomatoes crushing them with your hands as you add them into the pan.  Stir the tomato sausage mixture and simmer gently until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.  3.  Stir in the water, ziti, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a rapid simmer.  Cover and simmer vigorously, stirring often, until the pasta is just tender, 14 to 17 minutes.  4.  Off the heat, stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 10-15 minutes.

Serve this feel good comfort dish with a salad, some crusty bread, and a glass of red wine. Hopefully, as this wonderful aroma wafts through your house you will hear a slamming door and these three words– “Something smells good!”