Baked Rigatoni With Sausage

Pour the canned tomatoes and their juices into a bowl and crush them with your hands until they're broken up. You want a rustic texture here, not a smooth purée.

Add the crushed tomatoes to the skillet with the basil leaves. Let it cook down over medium heat until the sauce is slightly thickened, which should take about 15 minutes.

Once the water is boiling, add the rigatoni and stir. Cook the pasta for only 6 to 7 minutes; it should still be quite firm, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Ladle out about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water and set it aside, then drain the rigatoni.

While the pasta cooks, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.