Weekend Supper Club Week 1: Liz Moreland
Liz's Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

2 tbs olive oil

1 medium sweet onion chopped

2-3 cups chopped white mushrooms

1 package fresh Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage links (approx 1.25 lb)

1/8 tsp crushed red pepper

2 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (Italian seasoned is good)

1 1lb8oz jar spaghetti sauce (any brand)

½ cup red wine

1tbs balsamic vinegar

1 clove minced garlic

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (5in each)

1 lb dried penne pasta

½ cup parmesan cheese

3 cups mozzarella

¾ cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs

Salt

Tin foil

Non-stick cooking spray

In the first large pot, fill with water. Add 1 tbs olive oil and salt the water. Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add your penne and cook until al dente. When ready, drain the pasta and set aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Turn range to medium heat. In a large sauce pan or dutch oven sweat the chopped onion in 1 tbs of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. During that time, remove the turkey sausage from its casings and smush or smash the sausage so it will crumble when cooked. Add the raw sausage to the onion and mushroom mixture and brown the sausage.  Chop the rosemary leaves. Add the rosemary and minced garlic to the sausage mixture and sauté for about a minute. Be sure not to burn the garlic, just soften it up. Have your wine ready because it’s time to deglaze the sausage mixture with the wine. At this point, you will have to guard the sausage mixture from your husband. He will come into the kitchen and try to steal a little taste of dinner. There is not enough for him to keep coming back so tell him he will just have to wait. Ok, turn down the heat to medium low on the sausage mixture. Open and add the canned tomatoes, juice and all to the sausage mixture. Next, add the jar of spaghetti sauce and the balsamic vinegar. Mix all of these ingredients together. Bring it to a simmer. Now it’s time. Fold the cooked penne into the sauce/sausage mixture. Stir in 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and ½ of the parmesan cheese. Pour pasta into the sprayed casserole dish. Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan. Sprinkle the Italian Panko on top of the cheese. Spray one side of the tin foil with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the casserole with the sprayed side of the foil.  Bake covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

                                                    Sausage, Onion and Mushroom Mixture

                                                            Sauce and Sausage Mixture

                                                                  Fold in Penne

                                                                 Out of the oven

                                                            Husband Stealing Dinner

                                                                            Enjoy

                                                       Rosemary From My Garden