Baked Ziti with Pumpkin Creamy Basil Sauce, Sausage and Breadcrumbs – NotJustCo.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack 6-inches from the broiler element and one rack in the middle position. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about 5 minutes, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up with a medium spoon, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  3. In a medium bowl, add the panko and olive oil and stir to coat the panko with the oil. Add the sage, grated cheese, and ¼ teaspoon salt and stir until evenly incorporated.

  4. In a large bowl, whisk the Creamy Basil not just pasta sauce, pumpkin puree, ricotta, egg, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the al dente pasta and reserved pasta water and stir to coat.

  5. Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish, top with the panko mixture and bake for 20 minutes until warmed through and bubbly.

  6. Set the oven to broil and transfer the dish to the prepared top rack. Broil on high for about 3 minutes, monitoring, until golden brown.

Baked Ziti with Pumpkin Creamy Basil Sauce, Sausage and Breadcrumbs