By Colette turns ten in October, which I already wrote about — she's been ten since October. What I want to talk about this week is Rémy's report card. Second grade. All B's and one A (in science — he aced the animal unit, because of course he did). His teacher wrote: "Rémy is a passionate learner who brings joy and considerable volume to the classroom." Volume. The teacher mentioned his volume. I showed Danielle. She said, "At least it's not a complaint this time." Progress.
Made a sausage and pepper pasta — andouille sliced thin, roasted bell peppers, garlic, olive oil, tossed with penne and a scattering of Parmesan. It's one of Rémy's favorites because it has sausage and everything with sausage is "the best" in Rémy's world. He ate two plates. Cleared the bowl. Looked at me and said, "Papa, I'm going to cook like you when I grow up." And I said, "Better than me, cher." And he said, "Impossible." And he was wrong, but the wrongness was love, and love is never corrected at the dinner table.
Rémy declaring that cooking better than me is “impossible” deserves a meal worthy of the compliment — and nothing says “you’re right, cher” like a big, bubbling pan of Italian Sausage Baked Ziti. It has everything he loves: sausage up front, cheese pulling everywhere, and enough in the pan for seconds without asking. If this is the dish that turns a second-grader into a future cook, I can live with that legacy.
Italian Sausage Baked Ziti
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 12 oz ziti pasta
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti 2 minutes short of the package directions (it will finish in the oven). Drain and set aside.
- Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
- Build the sauce. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Combine. In a large mixing bowl, toss the drained ziti with the sausage sauce, ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan until evenly coated.
- Assemble and top. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan over the top.
- Bake. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and golden at the edges.
- Rest and serve. Let the baked ziti rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 620 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 1040mg