Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

By gilligan1963

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti
• 1 pound turkey italian sausage links
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup (4 oz.) grated fresh parmesan cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta, set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato paste, salt, black pepper, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bubbly.