Baked Ziti Tomato Mozzarella (Print Version)
Ziti pasta with tomato sauce, gooey mozzarella, sausage, and fresh herbs baked until golden and bubbly.
# Ingredients:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
Olive oil, for greasing
02 -
1 pound ziti
03 -
Kosher salt
04 -
3 1/2 cups quick tomato sauce
05 -
1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced
06 -
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
07 -
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
08 -
Pinch of crushed red pepper
→ Quick Tomato Sauce
09 -
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 -
1 pound sweet and/or spicy Italian sausages, casing removed and sausage crumbled
11 -
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
12 -
3 cloves garlic, chopped
13 -
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in puree, roughly chopped
14 -
1 sprig thyme
15 -
1 sprig basil
16 -
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
# Steps:
01 -
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and boil the pasta until al dente. Drain.
02 -
Toss the cooked pasta with the quick tomato sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the Parmesan, black pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Transfer to a greased baking dish.
03 -
Cover the pasta with the sliced mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, approximately 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
04 -
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic, stir, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more.
05 -
Add tomatoes and herb sprigs to the saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard the herb sprigs, stir in 2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper.