SK week 39 | Baked Ziti

I have a decent recipe for baked ziti, but I Deb's was a little different and I wanted to give it a try. Besides, it finally feels like fall around here, and baked pasta is such a comfort food. :)

You'll need:
Olive oil
Onion, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
red pepper flakes, to taste
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
2/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 pound baby spinach
ricotta (Deb has a weird thing about baked ricotta and just serves a dollop on the side. I like it mixed in before it bakes, so that's what I did. You do you.)

(Note: I actually made half a recipe since it was just four of us eating it, but I ended up making the whole recipe for the sauce and I froze half for the next time I make this)

Chop the onion and garlic. Also get your pasta cooking, and don't take a picture of it. ;) Cook it very al dente--it will cook more when it bakes and you don't want mushy pasta. Reserve a little pasta water for the sauce before you drain the pasta.

Brown the Italian sausage.

Add the onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste. Continue to cook.

Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for about five minutes.

Add the spinach and stir in while it wilts.

Continue to stir until it's all cooked down. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce is getting too thick.

Stir your pasta, ricotta, and sauce together.

Place half of the pasta mixture in a baking dish. Top with mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat with a second layer of the remaining pasta mixture, mozzarella, and parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

She didn't say to cover the dish, but if you'd like it less browned, feel free to cover with foil before baking. I personally like the crispy bits of cheese. :)

Serve with a salad and a glass of wine if you're fancy. ;)

Verdict: It was good. Nothing earth-shattering, but it was fine. I need to compare notes between this and my other go-to recipe for baked ziti and see what I might like best from each recipe. We'll see. :) But it's yummy pasta and cheese, so it can't be too bad, right? ;)