Baked Ziti with Spinach and Sausage

With the increased pace of life now that my kids are getting older, I'm finding that more and more my recipe blogging has slipped to the back burner. I was wondering if I'd ever regain my motivation to do it again, until one day I was making a recipe for the fourth or fifth time and I couldn't find the slip of paper that it was written down on. That's when it struck me, I need to keep blogging if for nothing else to keep track of my favorite recipes. I may not blog as often or with as many pictures as I usually do, but I am pleased to say that I will still at least occasionally share some of my favorite new discoveries along the way!

This dish was a HUGE hit at our house and there was no way I was going to lose this recipe. It was a tad time consuming to put together (about 1 hour for the prep and the baking) for a weekday night, but it was worth every bit of the effort. Last time I made it, I made a double batch so I could freeze one for another night. This dish is as good as the sausage you choose, so I recommend choosing a good quality Italian sausage (I used the sliceable kind [Niman Ranch spicy Italian chicken sausage is my favorite brand], but you could also use a good ground sausage if you preferred. Just don't buy the cheap stuff in a tube.)

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:

3 cups uncooked ziti or penne pasta (about 10-oz)

2 Tbs. olive oil

3/4 lb. spicy Italian sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14.5-oz each) diced tomatos

1/4 cup pesto

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

8 cups fresh spinach, chopped (about 8-oz)

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute onion and garlic just until soft (about 5 minutes). Add sausage slices and cook until browned (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Add salt and pepper. Lightly oil 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine cooked pasta, chopped spinach, mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour into baking dish.