Italian-American
Italian-American Sausage Pepper Baked Ziti
Ziti bakes with Italian sausage, peppers, marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, and basil for a generous Italian-American dinner.
Baked ziti should be saucy enough to reheat well but structured enough to slice from the pan.
I use sausage and peppers for flavor, then keep the ricotta in small pockets so the whole dish does not turn heavy.
The pasta should stop short of tender before it goes into the oven.
It keeps absorbing sauce as it bakes, and starting too soft makes the finished ziti dull.
This is squarely Italian-American comfort food, and it gives that cuisine page a stronger anchor than relying only on Italian-inspired weeknight pasta.
A good marinara matters here, whether it is homemade or jarred.
For another recipe in this seed collection, try Weeknight Marinara Sauce or Weeknight Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Orzo.
Directions
- Heat the oven to 375 F. Cook ziti in salted water for 2 minutes less than package directions, then drain.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown sausage, breaking it into pieces.
- Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and salt and cook until the vegetables soften.
- Stir in marinara and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Toss pasta with the sauce, half the mozzarella, and half the Parmesan.
- Spread into a baking dish, dollop with ricotta, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until bubbling. Rest 10 minutes and finish with basil.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving: 690 calories, 34 g protein, 70 g carbohydrates, 31 g fat.
Variations
Recipe Variations
- Add sauteed mushrooms with the peppers.
- Use cottage cheese instead of ricotta for a lighter texture.
- Make it meatless with roasted peppers and white beans.
Notes
- Do not overcook the pasta before baking.
- Use mild or hot sausage depending on the audience.
- The assembled ziti can be refrigerated for a day before baking.
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