Baked Ziti with Sausage

By [e-mail]

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) Pkg. Ziti Pasta
• Salt
• Olive Oil
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 Tbs. Fresh Basil - minced
• 1 Tbs. Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) Pkg. Grated Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 Heaping Cup Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from allrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat an oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the Ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little Olive Oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

Pour a tablespoon or so of Olive Oil into a large skillet on medium-high to heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage...do not crowd the pan. Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well. Don't still that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown.

When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, basil, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the spaghetti sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

In the prepared baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom, then dot the surface with half of the ricotta cheese. Ladle in some sauce with the pasta, mix it well, and add the pasta into the casserole.

Pour the rest of the sauce over teh pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the Mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.