I like the combination of sausage and veggies, but you can leave any of them out if you don’t have them.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 lb ziti noodles (1/2 a box)
- 2 sweet Italian sausages, skins removed
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 4 oz mushrooms chopped
- 2 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 jar or marinara
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Calabrian chili or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for very al dente. (It will continue to cook in the oven so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Add a tablespoon of olive oil if there isn’t enough fat left in the pan. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushroom and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions become translucent, but not browning. The mushrooms will pick up just a bit of brown.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the spinach and salt and stir constantly to wilt the spinach. This will not take long.
- Add the marinara, chili peppers, cooked sausage, and cream. Stir to combine. Return to a simmer and then turn off the heat.
- Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into a large bowl with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half the remaining pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano.
- Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 25 to 30 minutes.