Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cheese

This was a pretty simple dish, just a bit time consuming. I used whole wheat pasta to cut some calories. I didnt think that the amount of cheese allotted was going to be enough but, it's amazing how much a cup of parmesan ends up being. Perhaps because it's shredded. Not many tips with this recipe other than make sure you get your timing right.

To the recipe & the food porn!

Yields 8 servings.
413 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb hot Italian turkey sausage
16 oz uncooked ziti (I used penne because whole wheat ziti doesnt exist!)
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste (I used low-sodium.)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 14.5 oz cans petite-diced tomatoes
1/4 c basil
Cooking spray
1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 c parmesan cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook pasta according to package, omitting salt.
Drain & set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. (This was really messy. Make sure you do it over the sink!)
Cook sausage, onion, & garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned.
Stir to crumble.
Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, & tomatoes, & bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat, & let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, & basil.
Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4 quart casserole dish.
Top with half of the mozzarella & half of the parmesan.
Repeat.

Bake for 25 minutes.