In this video, I'm going to walk you through how to make a delicious baked ziti that has a bit of a
lasagna twist to it. Perfect for the kiddos and just a great family dinner all around that hits
the spot for pasta cravings. So let's get into it. First up on the prep list, I'm going to slice open
the Italian sausages, remove them from the casings, and fry up the meat in a hot pan with a splash of
olive oil until it's cooked through and the edges are crisped up nicely
Once the sausage is done cooking, you're going to transfer the meat to a separate container
Then you're going to pull out your onion and garlic and finely chop up the white onion along
with some fresh minced garlic. Then you're going to lightly cook them in the same pan that you cook
the sausage in until they are tender. Add in the canned tomatoes and cook it down on medium heat
for a few minutes, then season with salt and black pepper, dried oregano, and a little pinch of sugar
Continue to cook this down until it's reduced by about half. Check for seasoning one last time, then it's on to the pasta
For a recipe like this, I use a sturdy pasta such as rigatoni, but penne or farfalle can work just
as well. Just make sure to cook the pasta in salted boiling water until it's just a little
under al dente since we continue to cook this in the oven a bit longer Once the pasta is done cooking strain it transfer it to the tomato sauce and fold in some parmesan cheese to the mix
Next up is the layering process. So you're going to put the pasta down in the baking tray first
Top that with some crispy Italian sausage, mozzarella cheese, a few good dollops of fresh ricotta. Then you're going to repeat this process one or two more times
depending on how many layers you want. Then top with a good sprinkling of dried oregano and bake
this in an oven set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 15 minutes or until everything is melted
through and hot in the middle. Once the lasagna has finished baking
remove it from the oven, and this is ready to go. Maybe give it five or ten minutes before you dig in
but this lasagna style baked ziti can be customized a million different ways with dried or homemade
pasta, different meat fillings, fresh pestos, alfredos, and many many more varieties. I hope
you guys enjoyed the video, and make sure you drop a comment down below. If you did, hit that share and
like button to continue watching my channel, and I'll see you next time with another recipe. Later folks