Skillet Baked Ziti
This Skillet Baked Ziti is a fantastic one-dish dinner that your whole family will adore!
Servings servings
Equipment
- Extra Large Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage "hot" or "sweet"
- 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt
- 3 cups water
- 12 ounces ziti pasta about 3 ¾ cups
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese grated (½ cup)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves fresh is best, but if you need to sub dried, use a heaping tablespoon of dried basil and add it in with the tomatoes
- ground black pepper
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded (1 cup)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475℉. Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 6-12 pulses. (Alternately I sometimes use my blender- just be super careful to not overblend. It only takes a couple pulses in a high powered blender!)
- Heat 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet to medium high heat and add ½ tablespoon olive oil. Remove sausage from casings and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. (If you're not using sausage, just add a little more olive oil and start with the next step, sauteing the garlic and pepper flakes.)
- Add garlic and red pepper flakes to sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the processed tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes no longer taste raw, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, then add the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta ins tender, 15-18 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 10-15 minutes (or just until melted, like, 1-2 minutes). Serve.
Notes
- This recipe is to be cooked in a 12 inch skillet. I recommend using one slightly larger if you're adding the sausage as well. Make sure your skillet is oven proof (no plastic handles) and has a lid.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.25recipe, Calories: 521kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 1102mg, Potassium: 578mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 798IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 244mg, Iron: 10mg
Calories: 521kcal
Cost: $14
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