Rachel Ray Inspired Sausage Baked Ziti

• Start by washing and chopping up all veggies mentioned above, setting aside for use later.

Make Tomato Sauce & Filling:

• Chop sausage into ½' to 1" rounds and cook in a large saucepan over medium heat with olive oil, flipping with tongs after 3-5 minutes on each side.
• Add olive oil, garlic, and onions to the pan and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until they become aromatic. Add the peppers and sauté with onions and garlic until softened.
• Chop the whole tomatoes (in a food processor if needed) and add them to the pan along with crushed tomatoes and salt, simmering 10 minutes.
• Add spinach and basil, and simmer over low heat for 10 more minutes.
• Put a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add salt and pasta, cooking for 7-8 minutes, leaving pasta a little al dente.
• Drain pasta and toss with olive oil or butter in a large, oven safe dish.

Make Bechamel Sauce:

• While the pasta cooks, make the bechamel sauce. Heat a saucepan over medium heat, add butter and melt.
• Whisk in flour (or cornstarch), stirring constantly, then season with salt, garlic pepper, nutritional yeast, and nutmeg to taste.
• Stir in milk of choice and bring sauce to a bubble. Cook 5 minutes to thicken slightly.**

Assemble the Dish:

• Set oven to broil (500*F) to warm up.
• Toss pasta with the homemade tomato sauce, and top casserole with bechamel and three cheeses (Parm, Asiago, and Mozzarella). Bake 3-5 mins until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Notes:

• *I added sausages to mine, completely optional if you want this to be vegetarian.
• **To know when the bechamel sauce is done, dip a spoon into the sauce. When you can run a finger across the back of the spoon and it stays looking like a strong, clean line (a.k.a. no drips through the center of the mark you made), it has thickened properly. If it’s still drippy, continue to cook the sauce for another 2-3 minutes.