Yesterday I made a gigantic pot of gravy. Italian gravy that is (aka tomato sauce). Not just any sauce, a recipe passed on to me from a friend of Italian descent. He showed me how to make it one snowy New York Saturday. There are many variations and everyone has different ratios, but the basics are the same: start with good ingredients, add a little love, a little patience, some red wine, and voilà!

One of the best nights is Gravy Night, that’s when the sauce has been on the stove all day, the whole neighborhood practically smells like garlic, and you make up a fresh plate of pasta with your fresh batch. It’s outta this world. It’s divine. It’s like transporting to Tuscany in one bite.

Last night, feeling a little adventurous I made up a batch of baked, cheesy pasta in my Clay Coyote Flameware Savory Pie Dish. I was winging it, so my recipe was a little haphazard, but the outcome was amazing.

Penne, Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Fresh Gravy Pie 

• 3/4 of pound of penne (or any other pasta you’ve got), cooked and drained
• 3-4 cups of pasta sauce (homemade preferred, store bought a-ok)
• 15 oz ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• Basil (I had some flash dried in the fridge)
• 1 teaspoon each of Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Oregano

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together ricotta, egg, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of your Savory Pie Dish just to prevent sticking, put down a layer of half the pasta. Spread all of the ricotta over the pasta, it’s ok if it’s not perfect, it’s going to melt and get all gooey. Put one cup of sauce on top of the ricotta. Layer the rest of the penne. Then use the rest of your sauce over the top. Put all the mozzarella on top and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes. I turned it up to broil for the last 3 minutes to brown the top and get it really bubbly.