Make this. Please. Because OH MY GOD, it’s TOO GOOD NOT TO SHARE.
And seriously though…
INVITE PEOPLE OVER because you are going to want to eat the whole pan.
What’s in this dish?? Baked Ziti with Creme Fraiche and Spinach. There’s also Italian sausage in there too! It tastes like lasagna and the edge pieces and crispy ziti bits are just so amazing I can’t even handle it. You’re definitely gonna earn some brownie points with this recipe.
Let’s gather our ingredients for this adventure.
First, we make the creamy sauce with egg, creme fraiche, ricotta, and cheese.
Season with salt & pepper.
TADA.
Soften onions in a pan with olive oil and heat. Add garlic & oregano.
Followed by browning sausage THEN adding sauce.
When you’re making your pasta, reserve some pasta water.
You’re going to use it to quickly wilt the spinach.
Half of the sauce goes into the creamy mixture.
HELLO, LOVER.
In goes the ziti.
I just had to pause for a moment and look at this video from Sopranos (warning, language).
Look at little AJ!
Spinach goes in the mix followed by the rest of the sauce on top.
All the cheeses!
BAKED ZITI!!! DIBS ON THE EDGE PIECE(s).
Who doesn’t love crispy pieces of pasta?
(My son, THAT’S WHO)
Scoop it out into bowls.
Loving this new cookbook- Back Pocket Pasta. Casey loves when I make pasta, so this will come in handy when I’m looking for new inspiration. There’s a creamy saffron risotto recipe that has my name all over it.
Ahhhh yes. A great meal to share with anyone who needs some extra love, tenderness, and cheeeeeeese in their life.
Baked Ziti with Creme Fraiche & Spinach
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serves 6 to 8
recipe slightly adapted from the Back Pocket Pasta Cookbook
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup creme fraiche
- 1 egg
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 28 oz can plus 1 14-oz. can diced San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 lb. ziti
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- 3/4 lb. mozzarella, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, creme fraiche, egg and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season to taste and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes, short of al dente according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Place spinach in a medium bowl and pour over pasta water to wilt spinach. Drain and set aside once wilted.
Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir half of the sauce into the ricotta mixture. Add the pasta and spinach and toss together to coat. Pour the pasta into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan over the top and bake until the cheese starts bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Set the oven to broil and broil until the cheese and pasta are browned in spots, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
