Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage

When we have guests for an extended stay I'm always searching for recipes to serve up. Lucky for me, Scott's mom brought a few recipes with her! Neither she nor I had made this dish, but it looked and sounded like a winner.

This pasta dish is FULL of flavor, and packs just the right amount of kick (and, by now you know what a wuss I am when it comes to spicy).

Before you jump feet first into this dish I have to give a little disclaimer... The prep work takes a bit of time, but I promise it's worth it!

Baked Ziti with Tukery Sausage

3/4 pound raw, spicy turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
28 ounce canned diced tomatoes
10 ounces frozen green peas, thawed
2 Tbsp canned tomato paste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
12 ounces uncooked, whole wheat ziti - cook according to package directions (I couldn't find whole wheat ziti, so I used whole wheat penne instead)
6 ounces shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.
Crumble sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seed, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Stir in the cooked pasta and 3 ounces of the mozzarella cheese.
Spread evenly into a 9x13 baking pan.
Top evenly with remaining 3 ounces of mozzarella.
Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before serving.

From start to finish, the dish took about an hour to prep, make, and serve.
Yields 8 servings
Weight Watchers points (for those following the program): 8

Source: weightwatchers.com