This is a recipe that my friend, Rene, gave to me when I asked if she had any "one dish wonders" to feed a crowd. Because honestly, one 14 year old boy is a crowd.
It is so good, and looks and smells heavenly. The red sauce and the green spinach make it look really appealing. I love a dish that has the vegetable cooked right in! Add a salad and bread and whoot you're done!
Today I actually doubled the recipe. I have a 9x12 in my fridge for tonight, and two 9 inch pans ready to take to a friend. I feel so productive.
Baked Ziti with Spinach and Sausage
- Prep Time:
- 20 min
- Inactive Prep Time:
- --
- Cook Time:
- 50 min
- Level:
- Easy
- Serves:
- 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound ziti
- 1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 6 ounces pesto
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 (9-ounce) package washed spinach
- Butter, for baking dish
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
- 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ziti and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander.
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute turkey sausage. Add onion and garlic and saute until the sausage is cooked through. Use your spoon to break up the sausage while it cooks. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pesto and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the ricotta cheese, spinach, Parmesan and mozzarella to a large bowl, and stir to combine.
Butter a 4-quart baking dish, add the cooked pasta, then sausage mixture and cheese mixture. Top with a sprinkling of mozzarella and Parmesan.
Bake until completely heated through and golden and crisp on top, about 20 minutes.
Here is a link to the recipe on the Food Network where Rene's husband first found it.
