Pasta and Pasta Sauce Recipes
Baked Ziti and Cheese
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup green pepper slices, cut into 2 inch lengths
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
- 3 cups ziti, uncooked
Instructions
- Bake sausage at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes; let cool.
- Slice sausage in thin pieces; set aside.
- Sauté mushrooms, bell pepper and onion in butter in 3 quart saucepan until tender, but not brown; remove vegetables from pan and set aside.
- Blend flour into butter in saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir constantly over medium low heat until mixture begins to boil. Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Add 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese and Parmesan or Romano cheese, salt and pepper; stir until cheese is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside and keep warm.
- Cook ziti according to package directions for 10 minutes; drain well.
- Stir cooked ziti, reserved sausage slices and reserved sautéed vegetables into the cheese sauce. Pour mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil; bake about 10 to 15 minutes longer or until top is browned.