- 1 box ziti (1lb size)
- 4 tbsp EVOO (separated 1 & 3 tbsp)
- S&P to taste
- 1 lb+ italian sausage (in casings). We like spicy foods, so we got hot but sweet/mild is good too!
- 4 cloves garlic, minced...the more the merrier I think :)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/4 inch pieces - I got my ball of mozzarella in my grocery cheese section, but the little mozzarella balls would work too (less knife work)
- Fresh Basil - I keep fresh herbs growing in my office window, so I grabbed a big bunch. You can also get fresh basil in the store...dried basil works too in a pinch
- 8 oz ricotta - right now our grocery store is out of a lot of items, so I substituted whipped cottage cheese
Finish/Serving ingredients
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- more basil!
Directions
- Boil the pasta in a large pot, with a pinch of salt. Cook only about 5 minutes, and save 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water before draining and rinsing with cold water; set pasta aside.
- In your large pot, add 1 tbsp of EVOO over medium high heat. While the pan is warming the oil, remove the meat from the casings and then add to the pan. Stir periodically, breaking up the meat, until no longer pink...this took me about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic for about 1 more minute, and then add in cans of tomatoes for about 5 minutes (total time for cooking the sauce = 15-20 minutes). Turn the burner off and let the sauce cool.
- While the sauce is cooking, in a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta (or cottage cheese), 3 tbsp EVOO, and S&P; cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.
- Stir reserved pasta water, pasta, mozzarella pieces/mini balls, and basil into the sauce. Transfer everything from the pan into your serving/cooking dish...you will need a casserole or 9x13 pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
When you are ready to cook: bring casserole and ricotta mix out of the fridge and heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover the casserole dish with a greased sheet of tinfoil & bake for about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and add spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella & parmesan. Return pan to the oven for another 15+ minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and brown. Cool for about 10 minutes & sprinkle with more basil if desired!