Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage and Peppers
By Suzannah McFerranPublished on April 6, 2011
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 ½ cups water 8 ounces (2 ½ cups) ziti 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch piecesSalt and ground black pepper ⅓ cup heavy cream 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
Before You Begin
You can substitute penne, campanelle, medium shells, farfalle, or orecchiette for the ziti; however, the cup measurements will vary.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely chopped and no large pieces remain, 6 to 8 pulses.
- Cook the sausage in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the processed tomatoes and simmer gently until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, ziti, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a rapid simmer. Cover and simmer vigorously, stirring often, until the pasta is just tender, 14 to 17 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 4Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups water
8 ounces (2 ½ cups) ziti
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups water
8 ounces (2 ½ cups) ziti
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
Ingredients
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ½ cups water
8 ounces (2 ½ cups) ziti
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
Salt and ground black pepper
⅓ cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (½ cup)
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 ½ cups)
Why This Recipe Works
For pronounced meaty flavor, we rendered some crumbled sweet Italian sausage in the skillet we used to build our Baked Ziti recipe’s sauce. We then added whole canned tomatoes that we’d processed in a food processor and simmered the sauce to rid the tomatoes of their raw flavor and concentrate their sweetness. We cooked the ziti until it was just shy of tender, then stirred in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese before transferring the skillet to the oven where our Baked Ziti finished cooking.
Before You Begin
You can substitute penne, campanelle, medium shells, farfalle, or orecchiette for the ziti; however, the cup measurements will vary.
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely chopped and no large pieces remain, 6 to 8 pulses.
- Cook the sausage in a 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the processed tomatoes and simmer gently until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, ziti, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a rapid simmer. Cover and simmer vigorously, stirring often, until the pasta is just tender, 14 to 17 minutes.
- Off the heat, stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.
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