Baked Ziti with Hot Italian Sausage
Ingredients
The cheese mixture
-
1
cup
ricotta cheese
-
1
cup
crème fraîche or heavy cream
-
1
whole
egg
-
1
cup
grated Pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano
The sauce
-
2
tablespoons
olive oil
-
1
medium
onion, chopped
-
2
cloves
garlic, thinly sliced
-
1
teaspoon
crushed red pepper flakes
-
1
tablespoon
fresh oregano (optional)
-
1
pound
spicy or sweet Italian sausage, casing removed
-
1
28-oz can
diced San Marzano tomatoes
-
1
14-oz can
diced San Marzano tomatoes
The pasta and greens
-
1
pound
ziti
-
5
oz.
Swiss chard, leaves removed from stems and thinly sliced
The topping
-
¾
pound
mozzarella, cut into ½-inch pieces
Seasoning
-
kosher salt
-
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Combine ricotta, crème fraîche, egg, and ½ cup of Pecorino or Parmigiano in a bowl, season, and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet, add onion and cook until softened, then add garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano, cooking for 2 more minutes.
- Add sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, then add tomatoes and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Boil water in a large pot, add salt, and cook the ziti for 4 minutes less than package directions, then drain and reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Add greens to the sauce with reserved pasta water, stir until wilted, then mix half of the sauce into the ricotta mixture.
- Combine the pasta with the ricotta mixture, pour into a baking dish, top with remaining sauce and mozzarella, and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Broil for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is browned, then let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts (estimated)
Servings
8 to 10
Calories
450
Total fat
25g
Total carbohydrates
40g
Total protein
25g
Sodium
500mg
Cholesterol
100mg
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