Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

"This easy-to-make meal makes a lot, and leftovers reheat well." --CL Reader

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• 1  (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
• 1  pound  hot turkey Italian sausage links
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  tablespoon  tomato paste
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 2  (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4  cup  chopped fresh basil
• Cooking spray
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

413 (26% from fat)

Fat:

11.8g (sat 6.1g,mono 2.2g,poly 1g)

Protein:

24.1g

Carbohydrate:

53g

Fiber:

4.5g

Cholesterol:

49mg

Iron:

7.9mg

Sodium:

941mg

Calcium:

265mg