Baked Ziti (with sweet, spicy, or plant-based sausage)
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 1.5 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy or plant-based)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano
- 1/3 cup chopped, fresh basil
- 8 oz grated mozzarella
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Cook the ziti according to the instructions on the package, but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes as the noodles will continue to cook in the oven later on. Drain well, then place pasta back in the pot (not on the burner).
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Crumble the sausage and sauté it in the pan. If you use plant-based "sausage," you'll need to add a little olive oil. Break apart the sausage as you cook it until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate covered with paper towels.
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Preheat oven to 400F.
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Drain all but 1T of the fat / oil from the pan (add more olive oil as needed). Stir in the minced garlic and stir constantly, cooking until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, 1/3 of the pecorino Romano, and basil. Stir in the cooked sausage. Carefully combine the sauce with the pasta, stirring gently.
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Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the remaining pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, about 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with more fresh basil and serve.
