Baked Ziti with Shortcut Vodka Sauce

Three sorts of cheeses — Parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella — come along with spicy Italian sausage and a fast vodka sauce on this crowd-pleasing baked pasta. To attain the flavour of a slow-simmered sauce with the benefit of weeknight dinner, we lean on jarred marinara sauce, spiking it with vodka for a contact of sharpness and ending with a splash of heavy cream. Assemble the dish in layers, slightly than tossing all of it collectively, so you have got pockets of melty cheese and creamy sauce all through.

Notes from the Meals & Wine Check Kitchen

In case your ricotta occurs to be watery, unfold it over a number of layers of paper towels, then pat it dry with extra paper towels. The paper towels will soak up the surplus moisture, and the ricotta will peel proper off.

Urged pairing

Strive a pink fruit–scented Pinot Noir, like Cloudline Willamette Valley, with this crowd-pleasing pasta.

Make forward

The baked ziti will be ready by way of step 4 as much as sooner or later upfront and saved, lined, within the fridge. Let stand at room temperature whereas the oven preheats. Proceed with step 5 as directed, rising bake time to about 45 minutes, tenting the dish with foil if wanted to forestall extra browning.