Baked Ziti with Sausage
with garlic-roasted broccolini
Few things are more comforting than a rich, cheesy pasta bake. This Italian classic is great to make ahead and scales easily, making it perfect for busy evenings or visiting guests. Oven roasted broccolini adds a touch of elegance.
Ingredients
- Pasta, ziti - 8 oz (sub penne or another short pasta shape)
- Garlic - 4 cloves , chopped
- Cheese, mozzarella - 4 oz , shredded (look for pre-shredded to save time)
- Cheese, parmesan (opt) - 1/4 cup , grated
- Parsley, fresh - 2 Tbsp , chopped
- Cheese, ricotta - 1 cup
- Eggs - 1
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Italian sausage - 8 oz (use sweet or hot, according to your preference)
- Brown sugar - 1 tsp
- Basil, dried - 3/4 tsp
- Oregano, dried - 3/4 tsp
- Tomatoes, crushed (28 oz / 794 g) - 1 can
- Broccolini - 1 lb , trimmed (sub broccoli florets)
- Garlic - 2 cloves , chopped
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/4 tsp
- Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Prep
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Pasta - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating and pasta boiling before continuing with prep.) Boil pasta in plenty of well-salted water. Check the package directions for your pasta and remove from heat 1 to 2 minutes before the suggested cook time is reached, so the pasta is somewhat tender, but still has some firmness to it (it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain well. If prepping ahead, toss pasta with some oil to minimize sticking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Broccolini / Garlic (both portions) / Cheese (both types) - Prep as directed and store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make ricotta mixture - Chop parsley. In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, Parmesan (if using), and some salt and pepper. Toss cooked pasta with ricotta mixture and set aside.
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Make
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Heat oven to 400 F / 204 C degrees and situate racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Set out a baking sheet and an 8” square baking dish (for 4 servings, adjust if customizing). Brush the baking dish lightly with some cooking oil or coat with cooking spray.
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Spread broccolini out on the baking sheet and toss with olive oil (portion for broccolini), garlic (portion for broccolini), red pepper flakes (if using), and some salt and pepper.
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Heat a deep saute pan or Dutch oven over medium heat and add olive oil (portion for pasta). Add sausage to heated oil and saute until browned, 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks. Add garlic (portion for pasta), brown sugar, basil, and oregano and continue to saute until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. If your sausage released a lot of grease, drain most of it and return pan to heat.
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Reduce heat to low and pour in crushed tomatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook for ~5 minutes to let the flavors come together. Taste the sauce and season with some salt and pepper, if needed.
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Fold pasta and ricotta mixture together with tomato sauce until pasta is evenly coated. Spread half of the pasta and sauce into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over top. Layer the remaining pasta and sauce into the dish, followed by the remaining cheese.
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Place baking dish with pasta on the upper oven rack. Place baking sheet with broccolini on the lower rack.
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Bake both dishes for 18-22 minutes, or until pasta is bubbly and cheese is melted and broccolini is tender and beginning to brown. Allow pasta to stand for ~5 minutes before serving. Toss broccolini with lemon juice.
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Serve baked ziti with broccolini on the side. Enjoy!
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