Thursday, September 11, 2008

baked

We had some company on Saturday night and I didn’t feel like making one of those meals that required all items to be timed perfectly with lavish presentation. I had just been to a baby shower luncheon and really just wanted to take a nap. So, I went retro…casserole. I have a recipe for baked ziti that seems to be a hit.



Baked Ziti with Tomatoes and Spinach


½ pound of sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (preferably pork)
½ pound of hot Italian sausage casings removed (preferably pork)
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
28 ounce can of peeled and diced tomatoes with juice (I use Muir Glen)
4 ounces of prepared pesto sauce
Marsala wine


1 pound of freshly cooked penne or ziti pasta (I used whole wheat)
6-10 ounces of spinach leaves
8-ounces of cubed mozzarella cheese
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)

Heave heavy large saucepan over medium high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft; add sausage and cooked thoroughly, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season with salt and pepper. Add Marsala wine to taste to cut the acidity of the tomatoes

Preheat oven to 375 º. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 20 minutes.



7 comments:

Christo Gonzales said...

looks like something I would want seconds of...

buffalodick said...

Your recipe is mighty close to how I make it, except I use sliced mushrooms instead of spinach!

Joe said...

Looks delicious - and simple. My two main requirements for anything I may cook.

Adrianne said...

This doesn't look easy though it looks very good to eat!!!!!!

tavolini said...

that just sounds so nice and delicious...can I eat it in my pajamas?

Kitt said...

Oooh, that looks great! I could use chard instead of spinach.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!

Brian Gardes said...

That looks fantastic! Can't wait to cook up a batch!