What's for Dinner?::Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

I made a baked ziti recipe a while back, but that was before I was posting recipes...I prefered that one over this one, but this wasn't too bad...I mean it was good, but yeah I liked the other one better. :) This one had peas in it...which I thought was weird, but I guess that's one way to get your greens in! Also, the only turkey sausage I could find was breakfast sausage. Ha! But with all the seasonings you couldn't tell the difference. :) Here it is!

And below this one is the recipe for the baked ziti recipe that I liked better. :) The picture is of the turkey sausage one...It makes a lot! Don't judge my portion size. ;)

Ingredients

	3/4 pound(s) uncooked turkey sausage(s), spicy-variety, casings removed
	1 medium uncooked onion(s), chopped
	1 medium green pepper(s), chopped
	28 oz canned diced tomatoes
	10 oz frozen green peas, thawed
	2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
	1 tsp dried oregano
	1 tsp dried basil
	1/2 tsp dried thyme
	1/2 tsp fennel seed
	1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
	1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
	12 oz uncooked whole wheat pasta, ziti, cooked according to package directions
	6 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
• Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
  
• Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
  
• Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often.
  
• Stir in the cooked pasta and half the cheese. Spread evenly into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese.
  
• Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

Baked Beef Ziti

Ingredients

	12 oz uncooked ziti
	2 tsp olive oil
	2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
	1/3 pound(s) uncooked lean ground beef
	1 tsp dried oregano
	1 tsp dried thyme
	1 tsp dried rosemary
	1/2 tsp table salt
	1/2 tsp black pepper
	28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
	1 cup(s) (shredded) part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
  
• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
  
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
  
• Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  
• Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.