Baked Ziti

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 40 minutes
• total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb ziti noodles

1½ lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)

4 cloves garlic, (minced)

1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup heavy cream

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese), divided)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, (plus more for serving)

8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, (shredded (about 2 cups)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti noodles and cook according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set the oven rack in the middle position.

Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don't have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add the cream, ⅓ cup (33 g) of the pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) and half the remaining pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) and pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 613 kcal
• Total Fat: 38 g
• Saturated Fat: 18 g
• Cholesterol: 111 mg
• Sodium: 913 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 43 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 25 g