Baked Ziti with Sausage and Pepperoni

Spring has sprung here in North Carolina. Halleluiah! Some rain and mildly cool weather in the forecast, with warm sunny days interspersed. Some of the trees are even starting to bud with new leaves. I'm so happy to be past the freezing snow days now. I can even pull out my shorts and sandals now. Yay!
This is a recipe I had never tried before, pepperoni in baked ziti? Really? Yeah, well thanks to my Dad I am now hooked.When I first got here to N.C. my Mom and Dad took me out to one of their favorite little italian restaurants up here. (Michael was in Willmington doing his training and I was here alone.) My Dad always orders the same thing when they go there. Baked Ziti. One bite and I knew I had to make this at home.

Baked Ziti with Pepperoni

Adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

4 ounces thin-sliced pepperoni

1/2 pound italian sausage, casing removed

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups canned tomatoes with their juice (one 16-ounce can)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1/2 pound ziti
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley


Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

 In a large frying pan, sauté the pepperoni over moderate heat until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off the fat from the pan and wipe the pan clean.
In the same pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the sausage and cook until no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice, breaking them up. Add the salt,oregano, and basil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the ziti until just done, about 13 minutes. Drain and toss with the sauce, the pepperoni, and the parsley. Top with the mozzarella and finish with the parmesan. Cover and bake about 30 minutes or until cheeses are melted and bubbly.
Serves 4.

I'm linking this recipe up to:
Tuesdays at the Table
It's a Blog Party
What's on your Plate?
Recipes I Can't Wait to Try
Tempt my Tummy Tuesdays




 
 



I do hope if you love baked ziti that you will give this a try. I know you will love it as much as we do. My Dad and I are certainly addicted to it.
Carla and Michael