Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

This Cooking Light recipe turned out looking just like the picture and was really good. It is a nice variation from the regular hamburger pasta dish. I substituted Asiago cheese for Parmesan because it was cheaper. When you bake pasta I think it helps to boil it a little longer (past al dente) so it doesn't get dried out in the oven. One of the reviews on the site where I found it recommends adding 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp sugar to sauce just before combining with pasta. That sounds good to me--I'll try it next time!

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

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