The delicious flavor of this ziti come from preparing your own simple tomato sauce and slow cooking your beef and sausage in it. It pleases literally everyone, including the youngest dinner guests, and couldn’t be easier to assemble.
Total Time
40min
4.7
3 Ratings
Author: The Anchored Kitchen
Servings:
6
Ingredients
•
2
Tbsp
Unsalted Butter
•
1
Red Onion
, finely chopped
•
3/4
tsp
Kosher Salt
•
1
Tbsp
Tomato Paste
•
1/2
Tbsp
Anchovy Paste
•
2
cloves
Garlic
, minced
•
6 2/3
cups
Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
•
8
oz
Lean Ground Beef
•
8
oz
Mild Italian Sausages
, ground
•
2
cups
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
•
1
lb
Ziti Pasta
or Penne Pasta
•
1
cup
Grated Parmesan Cheese
•
1/4
tsp
Garlic Powder
•
1
Tbsp
Fresh Parsley
, chopped
Cooking Instructions
1.
Heat a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat.
2.
Pour the Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes (6 2/3 cups) into a bowl and use your hands to break them up and crush them. You still want some bits of tomato. Set aside.
3.
Melt the Unsalted Butter (2 Tbsp) in the pan. Once melted add in the Red Onion (1) and Kosher Salt (1/4 tsp). Cook until the onion is just softened, about 4 minutes.
4.
Add in the Tomato Paste (1 Tbsp), Anchovy Paste (1/2 Tbsp), and Garlic (2 cloves). Cook about one minute.
5.
Pour the tomatoes into the pot along with the additional Kosher Salt (1/2 tsp).
6.
Add in the Lean Ground Beef (8 oz) and Mild Italian Sausages (8 oz) and stir until well mixed in the tomato sauce. Cover with the lid and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes.
7.
While the sauce is cooking, cook the Ziti Pasta (1 lb) according to package directions in a large pot of boiling salted water.
8.
Combine the Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups) with the Grated Parmesan Cheese (1 cup) and Garlic Powder (1/4 tsp) in a bowl, mix with your hands and set aside.
9.
After the pasta is done and the sauce is finished, drain the pasta and pour into the pan with the sauce. Mix well and then transfer half of the meat and noodle mix with a spoon into a 9"x13" casserole dish.
10.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture.
11.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
12.
Top with the remaining noodle and meat mixture. Then top with the remaining cheese.
13.
Bake for 15 minutes then serve. Sprinkle with the Fresh Parsley (1 Tbsp) if desired.
Author's Notes
If freezing, prepare the casserole and then don't bake it at the end. Wrap it with plastic wrap and foil and put in the freezer to freeze. To heat, pull the casserole out a day in advance and allow to thaw in the fridge then cook at 400 degrees, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. You can bake this from frozen, it just takes a very long time to cook. About an hour or more.
Nutrition Per Serving
CALORIES
690
FAT
27.7 g
PROTEIN
38.0 g
CARBS
69.1 g
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