Italian-American Sausage Pepper Baked Ziti

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 something else to cook in the same spirit, try Weeknight Marinara Sauce or Weeknight Tuscan Chicken Meatballs with Orzo.