Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Italian Sausage

Step 1

Pasta

Step 2

Either cook and drain pasta as usual OR soak your dried pasta in warm salted water for about 30 minutes before draining and adding it to your baking dish.

Step 3

To soak pasta, pour 1 lb of ziti into a large bowl and fill it up with warm water until all the pasta is covered with water by an inch or so.

Step 4

Add salt (just as you would when boiling pasta in a pot).

Step 5

Let sit for about 30 minutes. Stir once or twice so the pasta won’t stick together. Then drain in a colander.

Step 6

Sausage

Step 7

Remove the sausage meat from the casing and cook in a little bit of oil in a frying pan over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the clumps apart. 

Step 8

Sauce

Step 9

Heat 3 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan until the butter has melted. Adjust the heat. You don’t want the butter to brown, just a light sizzle. 

Step 10

Add about 1-½ c diced shallots (or onion) and cook for 3 minutes until they become soft. 

Step 11

Stir occasionally and season with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. 

Step 12

Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves), 1 tablespoon dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. 

Step 13

Cook and stir for one minute. 

Step 14

Add a 28-oz can of peeled whole plum tomatoes and a 15-oz can of tomato sauce. 

Step 15

Bring to a boil, give a good stir, reduce heat, and let simmer for 30 minutes. While it’s simmering, occasionally break up the tomatoes using a wooden spoon or tongs.

Step 16

After 30 minutes, taste, season to your liking, and taste again. 

Step 17

Putting it all together

Step 18

Preheat the oven to 400°F with the rack placed in the middle. 

Step 19

If your saucepan is big enough, use it. If not, use a large bowl.

Step 20

Combine tomato sauce, pasta, sausage meat, add half the chopped Italian parsley, half the cubed mozzarella, half the finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and all of the ricotta. 

Step 21

Stir nice and easy to mix everything very well and pour into 9 x 13" baking dish.

Step 22

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack for 45 minutes.

Step 23

Remove, top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes. 

Step 24

Before serving, sprinkle with the rest of the Italian parsley. Enjoy!