At work, we decided to have a Italian theme pot luck. What should I make? I want something easy to transport and also very delicious. I decided to try making my own baked pasta dish. Because enjoy a good Italian sausage at a baseball game, it must be in my dish. I was surprised how much my coworker liked my dish. When have you seen an Asian make a Italian meal? Not me and not on TV. To add a little more kick, I needed to add some red pepper spices. All I have to say is Bon Appetit!
Ingredients
- 1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage links (fresh)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 can of tomato paste
- 1 – 2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.
- Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Adaptation: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/baked-pasta-with-sausage-tomatoes-cheese-10000000549971/
