| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons (26 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound (453 grams) sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium bulb fennel, quartered, cored and thinly sliced (reserve 1/2 cup tender fronds for the pesto)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- One 28-ounce/794-gram can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
- One 8-ounce/227-gram can tomato sauce (reserve the can)
- 1 pound (453 grams) ziti
- 2 cups (224 grams) low-moisture whole milk shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup (40 grams) grated Parmesan
- One 8-ounce/226-gram ball fresh mozzarella, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh fennel fronds
- 1/4 cup (30 grams) blanched almonds, toasted
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (10 grams) grated Parmesan, plus more for finishing
- 1/3 cup (71 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Instructions
- For the meaty ziti: Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
- Heat a large braiser (about 5 quarts) over medium heat and add the olive oil. Crumble in the sausage. Cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, sliced fennel and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and allow the red pepper flakes to toast, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add both cans of tomatoes. Add 1 cup water to the smaller reserved can and add the tomato-water to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and flavorful, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the ziti to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss to coat. Add almost all the shredded mozzarella (saving some for the top) and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Tear half the fresh mozzarella into smaller pieces and add to the pasta; fold the cheeses into the pasta. Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, then dot with torn pieces of the remaining fresh mozzarella.
- Bake, uncovered, until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
- For the pesto: Combine the basil, parsley, fennel fronds, almonds, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to make a coarse paste. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth pesto.
- Dollop the pesto on top of the hot pasta. Season with black pepper and finish with grated Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 679 |
| Total Fat | 35 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 57 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Protein | 34 g |
| Cholesterol | 66 mg |
| Sodium | 1039 mg |
Reviews
Probably one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever made. I just made it in regular pans and mixed it all a d put it in a baking dish. We all loved it so much.
Excellent – I used a Dutch Oven instead of a braiser (had to look up what one was) – it worked fine though probably had less crunchy top. I used turkey sausage to make a drop more healthy. I had to simmer sauce longer to thicken would use less water next time. I appreciate the pesto recipe since I am allergic to pine nuts and normally can’t eat it. It was very good, warning it’s very lemony. Will be reheating the rest tomorrow night.
So flavorful! Really rich and delicious.
Relatively easy and delicious. I love how it’s just a little different then what you expect…will make again!
Very good
Really, really yummy!! Kids liked it too!
This was fantastic! And super easy to make.
Amazing recipe. Family loved it. Highly recommend. Can be made ahead of time and reheated later. Definitely use fresh mozz. Sauce needs more time to cook down.
This was absolutely delicious. I did add a little bit of minced garlic. But it was so flavorful and everyone loved it! This will definitely be made again and again! Thanks Miss Molly for this gem!
Excellent recipe. I made a few changes. I diced my onion and fennel, and I used both sweet and spicy Italian sausage. Also left out the pesto because I didn’t have the ingredients for it.