I’ve been working on this baked ziti recipe for some time. I tried 3 different but similar recipes and took what I liked about each and made my own best baked ziti- featuring spinach, pesto, and Italian sausage. And lots of cheese. Any good baked ziti is cheesy.

I found pork sausage to be too heavy/greasy and was happiest with the results when I swapped it for ground Italian chicken sausage (I used mild sausage plus a pinch of crushed red pepper, but spicy would be even better!). The pesto adds richness and flavor to the crushed tomato sauce. As for the cheese, I stuck with freshly grated Parmesan and Mozzarella but you can switch up the cheese if you want- Provolone, Pecorino, Asiago, and/or Fontina would all be delicious additions. And go ahead and throw in some more veggies if you wish- extra spinach, some sautéed mushrooms or squash. (Just don’t tell my kids!)

Baked Ziti with Spinach, Pesto, and Italian Sausage

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ziti pasta (or penne, rigatoni, etc.)
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 -1 lb. mild or spicy Italian turkey or chicken sausage (I used mild chicken sausage and added a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes)
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup prepared basil pesto
5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 1/2 cups (10 oz.) shredded mozzarella, divided (1/2 cup set aside for topping)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided (1/4 cup set aside for topping)
kosher salt, to taste (I used ~3/4 tsp.)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until the sausage is cooked through, breaking up the meat as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pan. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the pesto. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in colander. 
3. Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, 2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes (uncovering for the last 10 minutes or so to brown the top).

Makes a 9×13 pan.

(Adapted from Epicurious and Mel’s Kitchen Cafe)