Baked Ziti with Sausage and Veggies

This is a recipe Kilo got from his Godmother. Dare I say that I got a hold of it and made it better- NOT!!! We will just say that I took a great recipe and then made it my own. Ziti, a starting place to get creative.

Baked Ziti with Sausage and Veggies

1 lb, ziti pasta

5- 8 links sweet Italian sausage cut into ¼ inch thick rounds

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup onions, thinly sliced

3-4 Carrots sliced ¼ inch thick

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

½ Cup chopped red peppers

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 25 ounce jar/can Tomato Sauce

½ lb ricotta cheese

1 Cup heavy cream- I just use ½ and ½

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano- dried is fine

¼ teas. rosemary

¼ tsp. Ground black pepper

½ lb shredded mozzarella- I use that 4 cheese Italian blend

Cook ziti in salted, boiling water until al dente, drain and place in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. olive oil over pasta. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often until sausage is well browned. Remove from pan and add onions, carrots, peppers and mushrooms. Pour in 1 cup white wine ( remember, if you wouldn't drink it don't cook with it) steam veggies till tender reducing the wine. Combine sausage with veggies, blend with pasta, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, heavy cream, oregano, salt and pepper. I also add about 6 dashes of Tabasco sauce. Pour into 2 9x12x2 inch pans. Bake at 350 for 30 -40 minutes then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake till cheese is browned.

Kilo really likes this with sausage. I like it with hamburger. Either way we make it with lots of meat and veggies. It freezes very well so you should always have a spare on hand for an easy meal. A small salad, some good garlic bread and the rest of that bottle of wine. Oh Baby, life is good especially after a meal like this!

This was posted by One Wise Girl

Technorati : Cooking, Food