5-Ingredient Italian Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti
- Yield 6
- Prep 5 minutes
- Cook 45 minutes
- Total 50 minutes
5-Ingredient Italian Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti is a pasta recipe on Avoteb. The yield on the card is 6. Plan on 50 minutes from start to plate. The amounts and the method are both on this page.
Ingredients
Yield: 6 servings
- 12 ounces ziti (or any pasta shape)
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (I strongly recommend using “spicy” Italian sausage)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large handfuls roughly-chopped kale leaves, stems removed
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% low fat)
- optional additional toppings: shredded Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes
Method
Warm a large stockpot full of generously-salted water for the pasta.
In a (separate) wide skillet, saute the Italian sausage over medium-a hot burner 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. Lift pan from heat and keep nearby.
While the sausage is browning, cook the pasta al dente in the stockpot of boiling water according to package instructions. Tip off.
Put back pasta to the stockpot and add the sausage, garlic and kale. Gently toss to combine until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted.
Tip half of the pasta into a greased 11×7-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish. Scatter evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Scatter evenly with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Roast for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Lift and serve while it is hot, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.
