Olive Garden Neapolitan Ziti

Mille®'s Note:

Copycat recipe, and a pretty darn good one at that!

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 24 ounces sweet Italian sausage links or 24 ounces hot Italian sausage links
• 1 1/3 cups green bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 lb ziti pasta, cooked
• parmesan cheese, grated
• parsley sprig
• 40 fluid ounces marinara sauce
• 28 ounces italian-style canned tomatoes
• 10 3/4 fluid ounces tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed,chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Bake or pan-fry the sausages until fully cooked, drain, cool.
2. Halve the sausages and cut the split sausages into ½ inch slices.
3. Sauté the bell peppers in olive oil over moderate heat only until their crispness is loss, but peppers are not soft.
4. In a heavy saucepan add the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil and bring to a light simmer on moderate heat.
5. Add the sautéed pepper strips and cooked sausage and heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Serve the pasta, topped with the sausage, peppers and salsa marinara and garnish each plate with a parsley bouquet.
7. Pass the Parmesan.

Reviews

[ratherbeswimmin']

Darn good is right. Wow, what a deal. The sausage, peppers, tomato sauce, garlic, and pasta. They all come together brilliantly for a divine taste sensation. I had to convince my husband that I hadn't ordered out from our favorite Italian restaurant. Many thanks :D

[Cooks4_6]

I found this recipe on another site and have been making it for years! It is one I come back to again and again. Great post

[Lainey in Wisconsin]

This was easy to make and tasted very good!! Will use this one again...Thanks