This sausage and spinach baked ziti gets extra flavor from ricotta and Parmesan cheese and is easy to put together. Add a garden salad and garlic bread to complete dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces talian sausage
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon talian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes, divided
- 6 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 chopped basil, or as needed for garnish (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 2
Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in ziti and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until they just start to become tender, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
Step 3
Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat and cook and stir Italian sausage, breaking up the meat as it cooks, until it is no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Reserve 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes and pour remaining tomatoes into sausage. Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and spinach. Cook for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Combine ricotta, heavy cream, 4 ounces cubed mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese, and garlic granules in a bowl. Season with salt.
Step 5
Add the cooked sausage mixture and ricotta mixture to the pasta and toss well. If mixture seems too thick, stir in reserved pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time.
Step 6
Spread the reserved 1/3 cup crushed tomatoes into the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour half of pasta in an even layer over tomatoes and top with 1/2 of the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese.
Step 7
Bake ziti in the preheated oven until cheese is lightly golden brown and pasta is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings Per Recipe 8 | |
Calories 491 | |
% Daily Value * | |
Total Fat30g | 39% |
Saturated Fat15g | 76% |
Cholesterol84mg | 28% |
Sodium1261mg | 55% |
Total Carbohydrate23g | 8% |
Dietary Fiber4g | 13% |
Total Sugars7g | |
Protein32g | |
Vitamin C13mg | 67% |
Calcium672mg | 52% |
Iron4mg | 23% |
Potassium775mg | 16% |
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.
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source by allrecipe
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