Ziti with Sausage and Peppers

The best sausage for this sort of easy pasta casserole are the fat links that come five or six to a package. (Or, of course, honest-to-God Italian sausages from an Italian butcher. But who would freeze those instead of grilling them right up and snarfing them down?) If you haven’t thought in advance to slice the sausages into 1-inch bits before freezing them, don’t worry. Sausages are so full of fat that they slice easily, even when frozen.

Cuisine

Modern

Course

Dinner, Main Course

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

30-60 min

Cooking Technique

Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook, Sauté

Keywords

30-60 min, 4-6 servings, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, chicken broth, contributed, cook 28 min, dinner, dried italian seasoning blend, dried ziti, easy, frozen bell pepper strips, frozen hot or mild italian sausage, main course, max pressure cook, modern, plain marinara or spaghetti sauce, prep 3 min, pressure cook, sauté, shredded mozzarella cheese

Prep Time

3 min

Cook Time

28 min

Servings

4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 lb frozen hot or mild Italian sausage
3 cups plain marinara or spaghetti sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning blend
1 lb frozen bell pepper strips
12 ounce dried ziti
6 ounce shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Press the button SAUTÉ. Set it for HIGH, MORE, or CUSTOM 400°F and set the time for 10 minutes.
Mix the sausage, marinara, broth, and seasoning blend in an Instant Pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until many wisps of steam rise from the liquid. Turn off the SAUTÉ function; stir in the bell pepper strips and ziti. Lock the lid onto the pot.
Option 1 Max Pressure Cooker
Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 5 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Option 2 All Pressure Cookers
Press Meat/Stew or Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 6 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off. The valve must be closed.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir in the shredded cheese. Set the lid askew over the pot and set aside for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and let the pasta continue to absorb excess liquid. Serve by the big spoonful.

Notes

Beyond
• Use any frozen vegetables you like. But since pepper strips are classic, don’t ditch them entirely, even if you want to add other frozen vegetables.
Consider 8 ounces frozen bell pepper strips plus 8 ounces of another vegetable, even frozen chopped onion.
• Skip the purchased Italian seasoning and make your own blend: Combine 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds.
• Garnish the servings with stemmed and minced fresh herbs, particularly parsley and oregano.
• And/or drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over each serving.

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