Baked Ziti

I cobbled this together from a couple of recipes I found on the internet. I tried it and loved it.

1 Pound Ziti Pasta 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1 Pound Italian Sausage

1 Large Onion

4 Cloves of Garlic (or more)

2 Tablespoons of Parsley

1 Tablespoon Basil

2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1/2 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes

32 Ounces Marinara Sauce

1 Pound Mozzarella

15 Ounces Ricotta

1/2 cup parmesan

1 Egg

Instructions

1)    Preheat oven to 375°F

2)    Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

2-A) Alternatively, heat olive oil in a pan over high heat. Put whole Italian sausages in pan and brown, 2 minutes per side. Remove sausage and slice. Sauté onions and garlic as before.

3)    Add in sausage and brown. Add salt and pepper to taste

4)    Add in Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp of parsley, pasta sauce, and a little bit of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until thickened.

5)    Meanwhile, boil ziti in salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse.

6)    In a small bowl, mix ricotta, egg, remaining parsley, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese.

7)    Add a thin layer (about 1 cup) of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer in half of the ziti on top.

8)    Layer on half the remaining sauce, then spoon in all of the ricotta mix and lightly spread.

9)    Add remaining ziti, remaining sauce and top with mix of remaining mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese.

10) Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden and bubbly

OR  

Refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Then cover with foil; bake at 400 degrees until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is golden on top, 15-20 more minutes.