Baked Ziti

When this was baking in the oven the whole house smelled so good and we couldn't wait to eat it. After one bite I knew this recipe was a keeper. It was so very good! Plus it was so easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for it to bake. Another bonus of this recipe is that you can prepare the ziti up to the baking step and then refrigerate and bake the following day, making this recipe even more convenient.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed if needed
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 4 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well and transfer the pasta to a large bowl.
3. While the pasta cooks, in a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the sausage until completely cooked.
4. Once the sausage is done, remove it with a slotted spoon and add it to the bowl with the pasta.
5. Add in the pasta sauce and stir to combine.
6. Add in 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese and the diced mozzarella cheese, stir to combine.
7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the the remaining 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese.
8. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes or until heated through and cheese has melted.
9. Uncover the baking dish, increase the the oven temperature to 375º F and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the sauce and cheese are bubbling.

Enjoy!!!

Notes:
I use half sweet Italian sausage and half hot/spicy Italian sausage.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 545
Total Fat		23.7g
Saturated Fat		9.9g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0g
Monounsaturated Fat		0g
Trans Fat		0g
Cholesterol		63.6mg
Sodium		976.3mg
Potassium		0mg
Total Carbohydrates		51.5g
Dietary Fiber		3.5g
Sugars		7.8g
Protein		28.1g
Vitamin A 11.5% Vitamin C 15%
Calcium 30.5% Iron 15.1%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker.