Baked Ziti

• Cooking spray or butter for greasing
• 1 pkg Garofalo Pasta of choice
• 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 mild Italian sausages
• ½ jar (about 12 oz) Bono Pasta Sauce of choice
• 16 oz Calabro Ricotta Cheese
• 8 oz The Fresh Market Shredded Cheese of Choice
• Veggie Steamer Bag of choice
• Fresh basil*

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat vegetable oil* in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Remove casing from sausages and add to the skillet, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook 10-12 minutes until sausage is browned and crumbled. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the cooked pasta, ricotta, sausage and pasta sauce and stir well to combine. Spoon half the mixture into the 9x13 baking dish. Top with half the shredded cheese.* Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and top with remaining cheese.

Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

While pasta is baking, microwave the veggie steamer bag according to package directions. Caution: Steamer bag will be hot and may release steam when opened.

Chef’s Note: You can easily cut this recipe in half and bake it in an 8x8 baking dish, but we love the leftovers!