Baked Ziti with Sausage

This is my go-to dish when someone needs me to drop off a dinner. I added sausage to a classic baked ziti recipe and everyone loves it. I always add a green salad and loaf of crusty bread when helping a friend with a homemade supper!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 box ziti
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 cups tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat water on stove to a boil. Add a dash of salt. Cook ziti for about 10–11 minutes or until al dente.

In a large frying pan, remove the sausage from the casing and cook until done or no longer pink.

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan. Add the Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix in the cooked ziti.

Spread half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan. (I use Temp-tations® when cooking for myself and a disposable metal pan when cooking for a friend so she doesn't have to return the pan.) Add the ziti mixture to the pan. Mix the remaining sauce with the cooked sausage and top the ziti with the mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Bake 25–30 minutes or until bubbly. Just before serving, top with freshly cracked pepper and fresh basil.

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Recipe provided by Jane Treacy.