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1
Heat oven to 350u00b0.
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2
Brown and crumble sausage;
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3
Drain on paper towel and set aside.
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4
In the same skillet, cook vegetables on med-high heat to brown 3-4 minutes, evaporate excess moisture, and lightly caramelize.
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5
Remove from heat and set aside.
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6
Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside.
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7
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot over high heat.
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8
Stir in 2 tsp. salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften, but not cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
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9
Drain pasta and leave in colander (leave pot unwashed).
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10
Heat oil and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes.
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11
Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
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12
Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar (optional); season with salt and pepper.
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13
Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer to the pasta pot and bring to a simmer.
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14
Cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
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15
Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of the tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup mozzarella; stir to combine.
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16
Add pasta, vegetables, and sausage; stir to coat well.
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17
Transfer pasta mixture to 13x9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta.
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18
Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top.
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19
Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
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20
Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 20-30 minutes longer.
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21
Cool for 10 minutes and serve.
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22
NOTES: Tinkyada pasta can be found in health food stores, as well as grocery stores with a good health food section. *Whole milk can be substituted for the heavy cream by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons and increasing the cooking time to thicken by 1 to 2 minutes.
