how to make this skillet baked ziti
If you want to make this meatless, the sausage is optional. I like both the flavor and the bulk of the sausage, and it does stretch out the servings by quite a bit. You can use ground turkey sausage here if you like, and you can use either the “sweet” or “hot” variety. Remove it from the castings and cook it until it’s browned and cooked through. Then add a generous amount of fresh garlic, and some red pepper flakes. This isn’t a spicy dish- these just add flavor. After those saute for a minute, add some canned tomatoes. This recipe calls for using whole tomatoes, pulsed in a food processor as opposed to a can of crushed tomatoes. The recipe comes from Cook’s Illustrated, and if you follow America’s Test Kitchen, you know there’s always a long scientific reasoning behind it. That being said, if you have a can of crushed tomatoes, I’d say don’t let that stop you from making this, I’m sure it would be just fine. Then add some water; this is the cooking liquid for the pasta. Add the dried pasta right into the skillet. My store was actually out of ziti (really) so I’m going with rigatoni. Anything with little ridges is great because they help hold onto the sauce. It’s important that your skillet have a lid at this point. You’ll want to cover it up to trap in that moisture so the pasta can cook. Peek in frequently and stir things around. You’ll see the pasta isn’t completely submerged in the liquid so that’s why it takes longer than just boiling pasta in water. It will absorb almost all of the cooking liquid.
finishing off the pasta
When the pasta is tender, add in a little cream. It adds richness, depth, and substance to the sauce. I personally wouldn’t substitute it with anything else. It’s finished off with some fresh basil and parmesan cheese and then placed in the oven just to melt it all together. It’s comforting, warm, and perfect for a chilly night. Pair it with a simple salad for a filling, balanced dinner. It would even be totally appropriate for company. Everyone loves a good Italian dish!
