Baked Ziti – II (Another Version)

Gooey, and so delicious.

1 lb. box ziti or penne pasta
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
32 oz. of marina sauce – I used Barilla – or your own homemade
1/2 lb. grated mozzarella cheese
1 full cup of ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan, set aside. Cook the pasta, drain & set aside. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil then add the meats until almost fully browned over med-high heat. Add the onion and spices, stir, add the sauce and keep warm until pasta is drained.

Place about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of your pan and spread out. Plop some ricotta cheese in dollops on top of the sauce – use half of the ricotta. Mix pasta and suce together then spread into the pan. Plop the rest of the ricotta on top then sprinkle the mozzarella on top of that. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and top is browned.