5 Ingredient Italian Sausage And Kale Baked Ziti Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH CREAMY KALE & SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, line a large plate with paper towel. Heat a large skillet on medium-high and mist with cooking spray. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 7 to 9 minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer sausage to plate and cover with 2 more layers of paper towel, pressing lightly to absorb excess fat; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. To boiling water, add kale and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer kale to a colander and set aside to drain. Return saucepan to a boil, add pasta and cook until just barely al dente (undercooked by about 1 minute). Meanwhile, line a large bowl with paper towel and transfer kale to bowl to absorb any remaining liquid. Drain pasta and set aside.
• In a separate large saucepan, melt butter on medium-low. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute, until fragrant. Gradually whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer, whisking frequently, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in remaining 3 cups milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add mozzarella and whisk until melted and mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat.
• To milk mixture, add tomatoes, salt, pepper, sausage, pasta and kale and stir to combine. Transfer to a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake until cheese melts and sauce bubbles, 15 to 18 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• (MAKE AHEAD: Prepare up to 24 hours ahead, but don't bake. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. To serve, bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until sauce is bubbly. You can bake this dish at home then reheat, covered, at your host's place in a 350°F oven just until warmed through.).

BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook sausage links according to package directions; drain, cut into ¼-inch slices.
• In a large bowl, combine sausage slices, pasta, pasta sauce, water, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pepper and mix well.
• Spoon mixture into a greased 9-in. x 13-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• Arrange garlic bread slices on top of meat mixture.
• Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
• In a small bowl, dip tomato slices into olive oil.
• Place one slice of tomato on each piece of bread.
• Bake uncovered, at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with basil leaves. Serve.

5-INGREDIENT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND KALE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large stockpot full of well-salted water for the pasta. 2. In a (separate) large skillet, saute the Italian sausage over medium-high heat until browned (about 8-10 minutes), breaking the sausage up with a spoon into bite-sized pieces while cooking. When the sausage has browned, add in the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 additional minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove pan from heat and set aside. 3. While the sausage is browning, cook the pasta al dente in the stockpot of boiling water according to package instructions. Drain. 4. Return pasta to the stockpot and add the sausage, garlic and kale. Gently toss to combine until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted. 5. Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. 6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.