Baked Ziti with Sweet Turkey Sausage

1 pound ziti noodles
1 pound sweet turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes with seasonings (green pepper and onion or garlic and oregano, or any flavor you want)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 (15 oz) container regular or part-skim ricotta cheese
4 cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese, reserve 1 cup, for topping
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup grated parmesan

preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a hot skillet over medium heat until golden brown on all sides. Add tomatoes, thyme and rosemary and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and garlic powder and mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 4-quart casserole with 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Repeat layers (remaining ziti and remaining cheese mixture). Top with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes, until cheese os golden and bubbly.

Giada Rigatoni with Squash and Sausage.

Ingredients

• 1 pound mezzi rigatoni pasta
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 cups roughly chopped baby arugula

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until just al dente. Drain well reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large skillet,cook the sausage breaking it up with a wooden spoon into bite sized pieces, until the sausage is cooked though. (drain fat). Add the diced squash to the pan and stir to combine. Add the water and season with the salt. Using the wooden spoon, make sure all of the squash is submerged. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the squash is tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and 3/4 cup parmesan. Stir vigorously to combine, breaking up the squash slightly as you go and thinning with pasta water as needed until the pasta is coated in a light and creamy sauce. Stir in the arugula.  Cook just until the arugula is wilted. Serve topped with the remaining Parmesan.

(Giada calls for lots of olive oil that I cut out.  She also did not mention to drain the fat from the sausage so I put that in.  I think it would be healthier with turkey sausage and also some whole grain pasta, but whatever way you like it).