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There’s an ice storm coming. Remember that episode of “Little House on the Prairie” where Pa ties a rope from the house to the barn so he can tend the livestock during a blinding blizzard?

This isn’t going to be anything like that.

A Middle Tennessee ice storm usually means some broken tree limbs, maybe a short a power outage and an insane rush to the grocery for “essentials.” People will wait in the grocery line for 15 minutes to buy a frozen pot pie, eight rolls of toilet paper, a bag of Oreos and some Jiffy Pop.

My favorite meal for a night like this is Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage. Gooey cheese. Spicy browned sausage. Really, I could stop right there, but I love to experiment with different mix-ins (i.e. peppers, onions, mushrooms), cheeses, herbs and pasta sauces, especially ones that include red wine.

Oh, how I crave this stuff. There should be a 12-step program.

P.S. I’m going to kick myself for saying this, but the sausage isn’t essential. If you’re a vegetarian or just trying to eat healthier, feel free to leave it out. There, I said it. Now, I’ve got to go scrub off the shame.

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

Rebecca Crump (EzraPoundCake.com)

Serves 6

  • 1 pound ziti, dried
  • Kosher salt
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
  • 1 roasted red pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup mozzarella
  • 1 cup Parmesan
  • 2 slices Provolone, torn into pieces
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add Kosher salt, and boil pasta for 1 minute less than package directions. Drain.
  3. Meanwhile, brown Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Add red pepper and garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds. Drain mixture, and set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the pasta, spaghetti sauce, sausage mixture, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture into the prepared baking dish, and top with the Provolone and remaining Parmesan.
  5. Bake until cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.

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