Baby, It’s Cold Outside!: Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
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
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.
I was NUTS for baked ziti when I was a kid. Thanks for the reminder. I’ve been craving a pasta for the weather and the ease of prep.
Seriously, nothing is better than baked pasta. Dangit, I *thought* I knew what I was having for dinner… And wait a sec – you can find jiffy pop?!? I searched a half dozen stores before going camping last summer and never found it! Lucky!
Carmela Soprano ain’t got nothing on you! Yum…that looks like the perfect snowed in food choice. Hope the storm isn’t too destructive. Ice can be hard on overhead wires.
ICE STORM = a week of no electricity, your daddy renting a motel room so you can take a warm shower, cooking on the outside gas grill. Ok, so it happened 16 years ago… IT STILL HAPPENED! I’ve never eaten baked pasta, but it sure looks good.
We just had our first ice storm of the season over the weekend. Luckily, we fared better than some local communities. We would have been better if we had a little of this!
Gosh that sure looks and sounds yummy! I was reading the list of ingredients thinking “check” after each one I had. Too late to make it now, but I’m putting it on the list!
Love your “about me” blurb, btw. Very funny!
YUM! I want some NOW! :)
ohhh yum! this is one of my favorite dishes and it’s sooo easy to make! my menu for the week might have to change to include this!!
Oh that does look good! Stay indoors, keep the flashlight handy and snuggle up. :)
The way this explodes off the screen is incredible – Looks so Yummy. This is a great comfort food dish!!
I should have totally made that last night, it looks awesome. We were supposed to get ice last night but we missed most of it.(West Tennessee)
I’m a Chicago native who lived in Nashville for a few years, and the closest I have every come to death was in a Kroger parking lot when they predicted snow. You have the right idea to forgo the Jiffypop in favor of a night at home with this lovely dish. Mangia!
This looks fabulous! I might make this tonight — I’ll have mine with sausage, thankyouverymuch. Here in ‘Bama, people wait in line for 45 minutes to buy milk if there is even a chance of a snowflake somewhere in this time zone. I shudder to think what will happen if it ever actually snows!
It is ABSOLUTELY cold outside! This is a great comforting recipe! Mmmm.
I love this dish! So comforting – yum!
Mmmmm…. Fine Cooking had a recipe (similar) a few winters ago that I love. Instead of spaghetti sauce, try using the canned plum tomatoes, instead of the red pepper flakes, try chopped up cherry peppers…. I think I’m going to use the sauce next time (instead of tomatoes). Every time I make this, I hear “oh, you made my favorite”. Great comforting wintery food!
oh my god. this is one of my fav ways to eat a casserole.
I am so friggin hungry now.
Few things I love more on a cold evening than a great baked Italian dish. So comforting! I do believe the sausage is essential :-)
yum, yum, yum. I am all about the baked pasta.
OMW…that last photo has made a believer…
Made this tonight – YUM! Best ziti recipe ever!
My husband is always hassling me to cook baked pasta. I’ll give this one a go because I’m sure he’ll love it.
I cant wait to try this! Perfect for eating in front of a fire on a rainy day!
I made this tonight for dinner, me and my roomates absolutely LOVED it and are really looking forward to the leftovers!
What brand of Pasta Sauce did you use that contains red wine.
Hi Rebecca
What brand of Pasta Sauce did you use that contained red wine.