Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

Thursday, August 19, 2010

My family went gaga over this rustic Italian dish and I ended up wishing I'd made a double batch for my family of 7.  Serve it up with a salad and some of our favorite French Peasant Bread for a perfectly yummy and well-rounded meal! 

 Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

1-1/2 cups whole wheat ziti (or other short pasta)
2-1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. Italian-style turkey sausage (mild or hot), cut into 4-inch pieces
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 large mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 can (15-oz.) crushed tomatoes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:  Preheat the oven to 375°.  Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to the pot.  Add 1 tablespoon of oil and toss to coat. 
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook until browned and no longer pink inside, 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the sausage to a clean plate and allow to cool while preparing the rest of the sauce.  Into the same skillet, add the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and thyme.  Cook until the onion is almost soft, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Cut the sausage into 1/4-inch slices and place in a 9x13-inch greased baking dish along with the sauce and pasta.

Toss to combine.  Top with fresh tomato and sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake until heated through and cheese is melted and slightly browned, 20-25 minutes.  

Makes 4 servings (I only made a single batch, thinking a 9x13-inch dish is always enough for our family (2 adults and 5 kids), but I wish I'd made more).

Enjoy!

7 comments:

Kim August 19, 2010 at 8:39 AM  

I love that Johnsonville hot sausage. So tasty and always a good deal. I can see why your family loved this meal so much. Definitely a recipe worth making a double batch:) I bet it reheats perfectly.

teresa August 19, 2010 at 11:09 AM  

how yummy! we make a dish similar to this often too, it always hits the spot. ps, we made your muffins the other day and they were a total hit. my hubby ate about five in one sitting! thanks!

Avril August 19, 2010 at 12:21 PM  

I can totally see how your family went gaga over this dish! I am too just looking at it! :-)

annie August 19, 2010 at 12:56 PM  

i just love baked pasta dishes, and this one looks awesome. I love the photography too.

Libby August 19, 2010 at 2:48 PM  

I'll have to try this recipe because the one I make tends to have a lot of cheese, hmm, I really don't know how that happens :)

Liz August 19, 2010 at 3:47 PM  

Yum, baked pasta. Can't wait to try out your recipe!

Kim October 30, 2011 at 8:44 PM  

Had this for dinner tonight. It was really good!!! Will have it again!!!

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About This Blog

My name is Lara and while I'm definitely not a gourmet cook, I do love preparing tasty, healthy meals for my family. Finding new recipes to try and sharing the ones we've already fallen in love with is a passion I've had since college and the reason why I've started this blog! With five kids, I'm usually in a hurry, so you'll find most of these recipes kid friendly and simple to make.

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