Easy Baked Ziti with Spicy Italian Sausage

Method10 steps · about 1 hr 15 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Peel and chop the onion (1). Remove the sausage casing and cut or break the 7 oz spicy sausage or soft salami into pieces. Heat the 2–3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion and sausage for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the sausage begins to brown.

   Sauté sausage and onion · 5 minUses 2–3 tbsp olive oil · 7 oz sausage or soft salami, the single total stock · 1 onion

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Pour the half-glass of white wine (½) into the sausage and onion pan and raise the heat until its strong aroma subsides. Add the optional cherry tomatoes (3 oz) and cook for about 2 minutes.

   Uses Sausage, onion and oil from step 1 · ½ glass white wine · 3 oz cherry tomatoes, if using

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Add the 14 oz passata or broken-up peeled tomatoes. Season with sauce salt and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is fully cooked. Chop and add the basil near the end. Lift out some cooked sausage pieces and keep them aside for layering in step 7; leave the rest in the sauce. These are part of the original 7 oz stock, not extra sausage.

   Simmer tomato sauce · 30 minUses Pan mixture from step 2 · 14 oz passata or broken-up peeled tomatoes · Salt to taste, for the tomato sauce · 6–8 basil leaves, chopped

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and grease a baking dish with a little extra olive oil.

   Uses Extra olive oil, enough to grease the baking dish

5. 5

   Step 5: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Break long ziti (10 oz) into pieces if necessary. Cook the pasta until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than its packet time because it will cook further in the oven. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining.

   Uses Water for cooking the pasta · Salt for the pasta cooking water · 10 oz ziti

6. 6

   Step 6: Toss the drained pasta with the cooked tomato and sausage sauce from step 3. If dry, add a little of the cooking water saved in step 5. Keep the lifted-out cooked sausage pieces aside for the layers.

   Uses Drained very-al-dente ziti from step 5 · Cooked sauce from step 3, with the lifted-out sausage still held for layering · A little of the cup saved in step 5, only if the sauce is dry

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Slice the total 7 oz melting cheese, keeping some for the top. Put a layer of sauced pasta in the greased dish, followed by some sliced cheese and the cooked sausage pieces reserved in step 3. Repeat with the remaining pasta, cheese intended for the inner layers, and reserved sausage, finishing with a final pasta layer. Use only the original measured sausage stock.

   Uses Sauced pasta from step 6 · Some of the total 7 oz melting cheese, sliced; reserve the rest for topping · Cooked sausage lifted out and held in step 3

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Top the last pasta layer with the slices of melting cheese kept aside in step 7. Grate and sprinkle the 2 oz pecorino over the top.

   Uses Pasta, cheese and cooked sausage layered in step 7 · The remaining slices from the total 7 oz melting cheese sliced in step 7 · 2 oz pecorino, grated

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Bake at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 minutes, until hot throughout and the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned. If more browning is desired, put under the grill for about 2 minutes at the end, watching closely.

   Bake spicy sausage ziti · 20 minUses Prepared bake from step 8

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Let the baked pasta rest for a few minutes before serving.

    Uses Hot baked pasta from step 9