Baked Ziti 2
Ingredients
Olive oil, for greasing
1 pound ziti
Kosher salt
3 1/2 cups Quick Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch crushed red pepper
Quick Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet and/or spicy Italian sausages, casing removed and sausage crumbled
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in puree, roughly chopped
Sprig thyme
Sprig basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and boil the pasta until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain.
Toss the cooked pasta with the quick tomato sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the Parmesan, all of the black pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
Quick Tomato Sauce:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper. Use now or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
