"Skillet Ziti

By RoketJSquerl

An Italian-American pasta dish, this southernized version of ziti comes together fairly quickly in a skillet on top of the stove, but with no sacrifice of the classic flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 pound smoked andouille sausage, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (like Rotel), undrained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 cups dry ziti pasta
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, reserve some for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook until softened but not browned, add the garlic and cook another minute. Remove the sausage from the casings and add to skillet, breaking up the meat coarsely. Cook over medium high heat until lightly browned; drain off any excess fat and add chopped andouille. Add seasonings, tomatoes and sauce to the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce to a low simmer, cover and let cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and generously salt. Cook the pasta just to al dente according to package directions; drain. Set aside until pasta has stopped steaming, add to sauce and combine well. Stir in 2 cups of the Mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheese; taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Remove from heat, top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover until cheese has melted, or place into a hot oven to melt cheese. Serve with a nice salad and some hot, buttered French bread or a good garlic bread.

Cook's Notes: Though I omitted it in the skillet version, dollop in some ricotta if you like. I wrote this pretty cheesy otherwise, but feel free to reduce the mozzarella if desired. To make this milder, omit the red pepper flakes and Cajun seasoning, use a mild smoked sausage and substitute another can of diced tomatoes for the diced with green chilies. May also substitute your favorite homemade or commercial spaghetti sauce for this dish if you prefer; you'll need about 4 cups.