Pesto and Sausage Baked Ziti

The recipe Pesto and Sausage Baked Ziti could satisfy your Mediterranean craving in about 45 minutes. This recipe serves 6 and costs $4.12 per serving. This main course has 986 calories, 52g of protein, and 52g of fat per serving. A mixture of ziti noodles, canned tomatoes, chicken sausage, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful. 46 people were glad they tried this recipe. It is brought to you by Mels Kitchen Café. All things considered, we decided this recipe deserves a spoonacular score of 94%. This score is awesome. Try Baked Ziti with Turkey and Pesto, Baked Ziti and Sausage, and Baked Ziti with Sausage for similar recipes.

Servings: 6

 

Ingredients:

9 ounces baby spinach

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 pound Italian turkey or chicken sausage, casings removed

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan

1 cup pesto

15-ounces ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 pound ziti noodles

Equipment:

baking pan

oven

pot

frying pan

bowl

Cooking instruction summary:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ziti and cook until al dente. Drain.While the pasta is boiling, in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the turkey sausage, onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is cooked through, adding a bit of salt and pepper to taste (the amount will depend on the seasonings in the sausage). While it cooks, break up the sausage into smaller pieces. Drain any excess grease if needed.Add the diced tomatoes, pesto and salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add the spinach, stirring until it cooks down a bit into the hot sauce, 1-2 minutes.In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the Parmesan cheese. In the prepared baking dish, pour in the drained noodles. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the top of the noodles. Spread the sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese (1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan).Bake until heated through and golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5-7 minutes before serving.

 

Step by step:


1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking pan and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

2. Add the ziti and cook until al dente.

3. Drain.While the pasta is boiling, in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat, add the turkey sausage, onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is cooked through, adding a bit of salt and pepper to taste (the amount will depend on the seasonings in the sausage). While it cooks, break up the sausage into smaller pieces.

4. Drain any excess grease if needed.

5. Add the diced tomatoes, pesto and salt and pepper to taste (I added about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Simmer for 10-12 minutes.

6. Add the spinach, stirring until it cooks down a bit into the hot sauce, 1-2 minutes.In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the Parmesan cheese. In the prepared baking dish, pour in the drained noodles. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the top of the noodles.

7. Spread the sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese (1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan).

8. Bake until heated through and golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.

9. Let stand 5-7 minutes before serving.


Nutrition Information:

Quickview
985k Calories
52g Protein
51g Total Fat
80g Carbs
46% Health Score
Limit These
Calories
985k
49%

Fat
51g
79%

  Saturated Fat
20g
125%

Carbohydrates
80g
27%

  Sugar
11g
13%

Cholesterol
139mg
46%

Sodium
2067mg
90%

Get Enough Of These
Protein
52g
105%

Vitamin K
214µg
204%

Vitamin A
6135IU
123%

Selenium
71µg
102%

Calcium
806mg
81%

Manganese
1mg
69%

Phosphorus
630mg
63%

Vitamin C
26mg
33%

Folate
129µg
32%

Magnesium
128mg
32%

Vitamin B2
0.53mg
31%

Iron
5mg
30%

Zinc
4mg
29%

Copper
0.55mg
28%

Fiber
6g
27%

Potassium
950mg
27%

Vitamin B6
0.49mg
25%

Vitamin B12
1µg
23%

Vitamin E
2mg
19%

Vitamin B3
3mg
17%

Vitamin B1
0.24mg
16%

Vitamin B5
1mg
11%

Vitamin D
0.42µg
3%

covered percent of daily need
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Food Trivia

Scientists can turn peanut butter into diamonds.

Food Joke

A Change In Plans Source: "Today's Woman" magazine, Barbara A Tyler. Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised. Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming, I've made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect. The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy China or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas. Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey. We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 AM upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds. As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying. We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door. Now I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat. Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice: take it or leave it. Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. She probably won't come next year either. I am thankful.

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