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Sweet & Spicy Ziti with Italian Sausage
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5 from 1 vote

Sweet & Spicy Ziti with Sausage

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Author Joy in Every Season

Ingredients

  • 1 # Ziti Pasta
  • 1 # Sweet Italian Sausage
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion peeled and chopped
  • 3 cloves fresh crushed garlic
  • 1 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes start at 1/2 tsp and adjust to taste
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • Optional toppings: Freshly grated parmesan and fresh chopped basil

Instructions

  • Cook Ziti pasta according to box directions (under cook by 1-2 minutes, it will finish cooking in sauce). Drain, but do not rinse. Try to time pasta cooking with finishing of sauce cooking.
  • Heat olive oil to med/high in large deep skillet (or dutch oven).
  • Remove casing from sausage, and brown in skillet (crumbling and breaking apart as it cooks).
  • Once sausage is nice and browned, remove from skillet (using slotted spoon) and set aside.
  • Add chopped onion to skillet (reduce heat to med) and saute for a couple minutes, scraping up brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add in fresh chopped garlic. Continue to sauté until onions are tender.
  • Add sausage back to skillet.
  • Add tomatoes (crushing by hand as you add them), tomato sauce, and dried spices.
  • Cook for approx 1/2 hour over med/low heat, stirring often.
  • Adjust spices to taste **(remember that you can add more chili flakes, but can't remove the heat if you over do it).
  • Add al-dente cooked pasta to sauce pot, simmer on low for approx 15 minutes.
  • Serve with freshly grated parmesan and chopped basil leaves (optional).