Sausage Cacciatore Ziti Recipes

Steps:

• Cook onions and peppers over medium high heat for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
• Add garlic, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Add tomatos and tomato soup, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat back to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add sausage. If using raw sausage, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sausage is completely cooked through. If using pre-cooked sausage, reduce simmering time to 10 minutes.
• Add zucchini and summer squash slices, and cook for 5-8 minutes more. Squash should still be firm, not mushy, but cooked through.
• Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.
• Serving suggestion: Spoon over angel hair or linguini. Also great with cheese tortellini. Pass the parmigiana!

Steps:

• In a skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and garlic in oil until crisp-tender. Crumble sausage into skillet; cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Add the tomatoes, tomato juice, pepperoni, oregano, basil and pepper. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and olives. Simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in cheese. Serve over pasta.

Steps:

• Cook sausage links according to package directions; drain, cut into ¼-inch slices.
• In a large bowl, combine sausage slices, pasta, pasta sauce, water, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pepper and mix well.
• Spoon mixture into a greased 9-in. x 13-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• Arrange garlic bread slices on top of meat mixture.
• Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
• In a small bowl, dip tomato slices into olive oil.
• Place one slice of tomato on each piece of bread.
• Bake uncovered, at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with basil leaves. Serve.

Steps:

• Heat 6 quarts of water with the tablespoon of kosher salt to boiling in the pasta-cooking pot.
• Remove the sausage from its casing and break the meat up a bit with your fingers.
• Trim the fennel bulb (see box and photos, pages 78-79). Slice the bulb in half lengthwise, then slice each half in 1/4-inch-thick lengthwise slices. Separate the slivers of fennel if they are attached at the bottom; cut the long slivers in half so you have about 3 cups of 2-inch-long matchsticks of fennel. Chop and reserve 1/3 cup fronds for garnish.
• Have the remaining sauce ingredients ready and nearby.
• Pour the olive oil into the skillet and set it over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and cook, stirring and breaking it up more with a wooden spoon, until it is sizzling and beginning to brown, about 1 1/2 minutes.
• Push the sausage a bit aside and drop the onion slices into a clear part of the pan; sauté, stirring, till they're sizzling and wilting, another 2 minutes or so, then stir them in with the meat.
• Following the illustrations, clear a space and drop in the fennel; let it heat up and wilt for 1 minute or more, then stir it around with the sausage and onions.
• Sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt; drop the peperoncino in a hot spot and toast the flakes for 1/2 minute, then stir them in.
• Clear a good-sized hot spot in the center of the pan, plop in the tomato paste, and cook, stirring it in the spot for a good minute or more, until it is sizzling and caramelizing; then stir it in with everything else.
• Ladle 3 cups of boiling pasta water from the pot into the skillet, stir well, and bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat to maintain an active simmer all over the pan.
• Drop the ziti in the boiling water in the pasta pot. Stir and bring back to the boil. Cook about 8 minutes (a minute less than what is recommended on the package), until the ziti are not quite al dente.
• Continue to simmer the sauce until the flavors have developed and the fennel is soft but not mushy, 6 minutes or more. The sauce should not get too thick: stir in another cup or two of boiling pasta water if it reduces rapidly. When the sauce is done, taste it and add more salt if you want. If the pasta is not ready, turn down the heat to keep the sauce at a very low simmer until the ziti are on their way-then turn the heat up.
• As soon as the ziti are ready by your timing, lift them out of the pot with a spider. Let excess water drip off only for an instant, and drop the wet cylinders into the simmering sauce.
• Start tossing pasta and sauce together; ladle in more water if the sauce seems too thick.
• Sprinkle over all the chopped fennel fronds, and continue to cook and toss the ziti in the skillet for 2 minutes, or until they are perfectly al dente and coated with sauce. If the pasta appears dry, ladle in more hot pasta water; if it is soupy, cook rapidly to thicken the sauce.
• Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the grated cheese over the ziti, and toss it in.
• In Italian, the verb we use to describe the final dressing of the pasta with sauce is condire-translated, "to season, to flavor." And the phrase condire la pasta reminds us that the sauce should be considered a condiment, an enhancement to the pasta.
• I like to think of pasta, especially fresh egg pastas, as playing the leading role in the pasta dish. So why drown the chief protagonist before the drama has started?
• Keep these ideas in mind when you bring your pasta and sauce together in a skillet. If you see that the quantity of sauce is disproportionate to the pasta, spoon some out (and save it, of course) before tossing and finishing the dish. And if you see that the sauce is soupy and collects in the bottom of the skillet, raise the heat while tossing the pasta actively, evaporating the excess water and thickening the sauce so it adheres to the pasta.
• For 1 pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a full boil (too little water produces a gummy pasta; too much water washes away too much starch).
• Stir 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt into the water anytime before adding pasta.
• Adding pasta to the pot: Drop shaped and tubular pasta into the boiling water and stir well. Slip long pasta into the water and push the strands under gradually as they soften, bending them into the water, then stirring well to make sure the strands are separated.
• After adding pasta, cover the pot and return water to the boil over high heat.
• Be prepared to uncover the pot before the water boils over.
• Tip: if the water is boiling up and over, blow on it to settle it down.
• Start timing the pasta when the boil resumes.
• For dry pastas that will finish in the skillet, cook in the pot for 2 minutes less than the minimum time given on the package.
• Cook pasta at a rolling boil, either partly covered (you can reduce the heat and save energy) or uncovered. Stir the pasta now and then.
• Did you forget to salt the water? Better to check before the pasta is done: sip water from a wooden spoon; it should be "comfortably" salty at least.
• If you forgot to salt, add it right away: saltless pasta is redeemable while it's in the water; it will absorb some salt even in a brief boil.
• Test pasta by extracting a piece and tasting it 1 to 2 minutes before the designated time for doneness. When it is not quite done al dente, lift out with a spider, tongs, or other tool, let excess water drain into the pot, and drop the pasta with clinging water into the skillet.
• Don't discard pasta water until the dish is finished!
• Shells, rigatoni, radiatori, fettuccine

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat; add vodka, if desired. Return to heat; cook until almost evaporated, 1 minute.
• Stir in tomatoes and oregano; cook until tomatoes are falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Add spinach, and cook just until wilted. Drain, and return contents to pot.
• Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed fontina to pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dishes.
• Top with grated fontina and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Boil water to cook 10 oz. or a little more than half of a large box of ziti and cook til al dente then drain.
• Brown and crumble the sausage and then add spaghetti sauce to the sausage to warm up.
• In a 4-5 quart casserole dish pour in cooked ziti and top with alfredo sauce stirring to mix well.
• Pour sausage and spaghetti sauce on top of the alfredo, but do not stir it together.
• Cover with shredded mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position; preheat oven to 475°.
• Pulse tomatoes in food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.
• Cook sausage in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over med-high heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Stir in processed tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• Decrease heat to med-low and simmer gently until tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in water and pasta.
• Cover and increase heat to med-high, and cook at vigorous simmer, stirring often, until pasta is tender, 15-18 minutes.
• Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over top.
• Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese is melted and browned, 10-15 minutes; serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat pasta sauce with 1 teaspoon basil until bubbling. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Spread bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with sauce. Layer 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2, the sausage, 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1/2 the mozzarella. Spoon half of the sauce over top. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 teaspoons basil and Italian seasoning.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Steps:

• Set oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 3-quart baking dish.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until JUST tender (do not over-cook the pasta as it will cook more in the oven!).
• Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl.
• Heat oil; add in the sausage meat and cook until browned, remove to a plate.
• For the white sauce; melt butter in a medium saucepan; add the onion, garlic and cayenne pepper if using) saute for about 3-4 minutes.
• Add in flour and whisk for 1 minute.
• Slowly add in half and half cream; bring to a simmer, whisking constantly until thickened.
• Remove from heat; add in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, then season with seasoned salt (or white salt) and pepper to taste.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the cooked pasta in the bowl; mix with a wooden spoon.
• In a medium bowl mix together the cottage cheese with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, egg and chopped parsley, then season with salt and lots of pepper.
• Spoon HALF of the creamed ziti mixture into the prepared baking dish, then spread the cottage cheese mixture on top, then spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top of the cottage cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle the cooked sausage meat on the top.
• Top with mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle paprika on top.
• Bake uncovered for about 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
• Let stand about 5 or more minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Transfer whole peeled tomatoes (with their juices) to a large bowl and squeeze with your hands to break up; set aside. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until browned in places and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add reserved crushed tomatoes to pot along with can of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup water (pour water into sauce can and swirl to catch any left inside). Season generously with salt and pepper; let simmer until flavors meld, skimming fat as needed, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water about 5 minutes less than package instructions (so it still has some bite in the center and won't overcook in the oven). Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain and rinse noodles under cool water to stop cooking.
• In now-empty pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined and lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until consistency is like slightly thickened cream, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup Parmigiano. Press plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming.
• In a large bowl, toss pasta with 3 cups tomato sauce, 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (or up to 1 cup, if sauce is very thick), and basil. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spread half of bechamel in the bottom of a 3-to-3 1/2-quart baking dish. Top with half of pasta mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, half of mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano. Layer with remaining pasta and 1 cup tomato sauce.
• Spoon the last of the bechamel evenly on top, followed by remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmigiano; top with a few spoons of tomato sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmigiano. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment (to catch spills).
• Bake, uncovered, until browned in places and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes, top with more basil leaves, and serve.

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; place in a large bowl. In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and cut into 1/2-in. slices., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour over pasta; toss to coat., In a small bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, parsley, and remaining Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon half of the pasta mixture into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Add sausage to the remaining pasta mixture; spoon over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and paprika. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until browned in places and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in marinara sauce and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper; simmer 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook 12 ounces ziti or rigatoni in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain. Add pasta, reserved pasta water, basil, and 3/4 cup chopped mozzarella to skillet; toss to combine. Season to taste.
• In a bowl, whisk together ricotta and heavy cream; season. Spoon mixture evenly over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup chopped mozzarella and Parmigiano. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until ziti is browned and bubbly and edges begin to crisp, about 20 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Cook the ziti according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
• Cook the sausage links in oil in a large skillet for 15 minutes or until browned over medium heat; reduce heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Drain well on paper towels. Slice the sausage diagonally and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add the flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the ziti; stir well, and set aside.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ricotta (or cottage cheese), egg, parsley, 1 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Stir well.
• Place half of the macaroni mixture in a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with the ricotta cheese mixture and half of the sausage. Top with the remaining ziti mixture and sausages. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and paprika.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
• While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.
• Stir together the ricotta, egg, onion, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the drained pasta, the drained sausage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 jar of the spaghetti sauce; mix well.
• In the prepared baking dish, cover the bottom with 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture, 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Then layer the remaining 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.

Steps:

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to pot.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté until brown, breaking up with fork, about 4 minutes. Add onions and peppers; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine; boil 2 minutes, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes with juices. Reduce heat to medium and cover; simmer until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
• Add sauce to pasta. Toss over medium heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 4-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine mozzarella and Italian blend cheeses in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• At the same time, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break up into morsels. Sprinkle baking soda onto sausage, then add onion and garlic. Cook and stir, continuing to break up any clumps as it cooks, until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off and discard any grease.
• Add pasta sauce, olives, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, anchovy paste, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add up to 3 tablespoons more oil if desired, and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in ziti.
• Spread 1/2 of the sauced ziti into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheese mixture evenly on top. Spoon or ladle the rest of the ziti evenly on top without disturbing the layers underneath; it's okay to have some ziti partially exposed as they will brown handsomely and deliciously as they bake. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese mixture on top and sprinkle Parmesan across the surface.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.