Sausage and pepper baked ziti – Recipe Test Drive

If you’ve been following along at home, you know that I’ve never made baked ziti before. Part of me knows why I’ve been avoiding it: it’s a lot of steps, and a lot of dishes! But this particular recipe had a hook that convinced me it was time to try it. It makes enough for two casseroles, and one pops right into the freezer. I’ve become a monster when it comes to having easy meals ready, so I thought it would be worth the time and the mess.

What’s the verdict? Was it worth the sink full of dishes and the time spent on the multiple steps to make this casserole?

I’m on the fence with that answer, mostly because I’m a food snob. Baked ziti … wait for it … is a plebeian dish. When I can make a pasta dish that is more innovative than this one, with more unique flavors and less steps and dishes, I’m not sure why I’d choose this sausage and pepper baked ziti recipe.

That said, we couldn’t stop eating it, even though it was in the back of my mind (and yes, it did come out of my mouth too) that this was a meal that would fit in with the all-you-can-eat pasta buffet at the likes of Olive Garden. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but for a food snob, it does become a factor.

In all honesty, it was very delicious and with just a few tweaks it could be pretty amazing:

I’d add some frozen spinach next time.
It also needed some spices, so I’d probably just mix in an Italian spice blend or Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute. This was in the back of my mind while preparing it, but I wanted to be true to the recipe for a test drive, and I thought maybe I was underestimating the sweet Italian sausage.
Fresh basil would go a long, long way in this dish.
As would some feta cheese.
The vegetables would have more flavor if browned instead of (essentially) steamed.

By the way, I was right — it was a huge mess!