This quick and easy ziti with white sausage sauce is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Few Ingredients But Lots Of Flavor
It’s always amazing to me, no matter how many times I experience it, how meals with so few ingredients have such big flavor!
This is another one of those meals. The dominant flavor here comes from tasty Italian sausage. This is also one of those meals folks will think you fussed over, but it’ll be your secret just how easy it is.
With it’s rustic look and easy prep, it’s also a great meal to serve when you have guests!
Wine: Dry And White
Even though there’s not much wine called for in the recipe, it’s important to use the driest white wine you can find. I used sauvignon blanc, which is a good choice, but drier works better. Therefore, I’d suggest a white chianti, but only if you have to purchase wine to make this. Otherwise any dry white you have on hand can stand in.
If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute a good-quality chicken stock, but bear in mind that the dish will taste different. It’ll still be good though.
Some Like It Hot
I’m a lover of hot Italian sausage, so naturally this was my choice in this recipe. However, sweet tastes very good too.
There are so many flavor varieties of Italian sausage now available that any of those could stand in for the more conventional hot or sweet. One of my stores sells a 4-cheese, pepper and onion, and cheese & garlic variety. Each one would be fantastic in this.
The Recipe
- 8 oz bulk hot or sweet Italian sausage, broken up into small lumps
- 1 tbs butter
- ½ cup dry white wine or water
- 8 oz (dry weight) ziti (or any tubular pasta) cooked per package directions (reserve ½ cup of the pasta water)
- 2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Brown the sausage bits until the are cooked and browned.
- Add the wine or water and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan (deglazing).
- Add the cooked ziti and the reserved pasta water; heat through.
- Stir in the parsley and top with the Parmesan cheese.
*Adapted from NYT Yum
