Sausage and Pepper Baked Ziti

By Dottiejk

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage links; 1 inch chunks
• 4 garlic clove; thinly sliced
• 2 large peppers; 1/4 inch slices
• 1 jumbo onion; 1/4 inch slices
• 28 ounce whole tomatoes in puree
• 15 ounce tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 pound ziti or penne pasta
• 8 ounce mozzarella cheese; 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup pecorino Romano cheese; freshly grated

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare sauce:
1. In deep nonstick 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 5
minutes or until browned on all sides; stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Discard all but 2 tablespoons sausage fat. To
sausage in skillet, add garlic, peppers, and onion and cook, covered, 10
minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in
tomatoes with their puree, tomato puree, and salt; heat to boiling over
medium heat, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Reduce heat to low;
cover and simmer 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Heat large covered saucepot of salted
water to boiling over high heat. Add pasta; cook 2 minutes less than
cooking time recommended on label.
4. Drain pasta. Return pasta to pot; stir in sauce to coat. Add mozzarella;
toss to combine. Transfer pasta mixture to ungreased 13" x 9" glass or
ceramic baking dish and spread evenly; sprinkle with Romano.
5. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes or until top browns and sauce is
bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes for easier serving.