Main Dish
Baked Ziti Lasagna
Due Ruscelli Vineyards
994 Limerick Lane
Healdsburg, CA 95448
dueruscelli.com
- RECIPE YEAR: 2025
- YIELD: Serves 8
- PAIRS WELL WITH: Tramonto
This hearty casserole is loaded with creamy cheese, spicy Italian sausage, and a weeknight-friendly vodka sauce that starts with jarred marinara.
Ingredients:
- 12 ounces Uncooked Ziti Pasta
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 pound Hot Italian Sausage Casings removed (Omit and use cremini mushrooms for vegetarian option)
- 1 Yellow Onion Finely Chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Tomato Paste
- 3/4 cup Vodka
- 1 40-ounce jar Marinara Sauce (such as Rao’s)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese Grated, divided
- 15 ounces Whole-Milk Ricotta Cheese Divided
- 3 cups Low-Moisture Whole-Milk Mozzarella Cheese Shredded, divided
- 1 bunch Parsley Chopped for garnish
Section Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ziti; cook according to package directions for al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Return pasta to pot; set aside. 2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high; add sausage, and cook, stirring occasionally to break into small pieces, until browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, until slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. 3. Add vodka to sausage mixture; cook, scraping bottom of pan to loosen browned bits, until liquid is mostly reduced, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in marinara sauce and cream; bring to a simmer over medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Stir 2 cups vodka sauce into drained pasta in pot until well combined. 4. Spread 3 cups vodka sauce in the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta (about 3/4 cup), dolloping evenly over the sauce. Top with half of the pasta mixture. Dollop pasta mixture with remaining half of ricotta; sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Top with remaining pasta mixture and remaining vodka sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. (The baked ziti can be prepared through step 4 up to one day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature while the oven preheats. Proceed with step 5 as directed, increasing bake time to about 45 minutes, tenting the dish with foil if needed to prevent excess browning.) 5. Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 30 minutes. Top with parsley.
