Ziti Skillet

Name: Ziti Skillet
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1⁄2 pound Italian sausage; 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced, about 2 tablespoons; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes; 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper; 3 cups beef stock; 12 ounces ziti pasta, about 2 1⁄2 cups; 1⁄2 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream); 4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, about 1 cup; 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Estate Comforts

Ziti Skillet

Print Recipe

The Strategy:

There are all sorts of things you can do with noodle tubes, but the great thing about them is they can make a quick and easy meal. Here’s a recipe that uses one pan to cook noodles and sauce all together at the same time!

Serves: 4 to 6 | Total Time: 30 minutes till it’s ready

Ingredients

For sausage and aromatics

1 tablespoon olive oil
1⁄2 pound Italian sausage
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced, about 2 tablespoons

For sauce base and spices

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

For pasta, liquids and toppings

3 cups beef stock
12 ounces ziti pasta, about 2 1⁄2 cups
1⁄2 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Overhead prep shot of Italian sausage, ziti pasta, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock, garlic, mozzarella, and fresh basil

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 500°.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with oregano, salt, and pepper.
Add the beef stock to the sauce and stir in the ziti.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce to cook the pasta to al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir in the half-and-half and cover everything with mozzarella cheese.
Place the skillet into the oven and cook until the cheese melts and bubbles, about 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the skillet from the stove. (Use a potholder. The handle will be HOT!) Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil. Serve the pasta right out of the skillet.

Extreme close-up action shot stirring dry ziti pasta directly into a simmering skillet of dark red sausage tomato sauce

The full recipe lives in the Vault

Ingredients, step-by-step method, and every chef-tested detail are reserved for members of the Estate Registry.

Join the Estate Registry

The Heart of the Table

This is the ultimate answer to a chaotic weeknight. It delivers the profound, comforting depth of a baked pasta casserole that usually requires multiple pots, colanders, and an hour of oven time, but executes it in thirty minutes using exactly one heavy skillet.

A gorgeous single-view lifestyle photo of freshly prepared Ziti Skillet.

Neighborly Grace

THE PRESENTATION: Do not attempt to plate this in the kitchen. Bring the blisteringly hot, incredibly heavy cast-iron skillet directly to the center of the dining table. Let the residual heat keep the mozzarella bubbling while you serve your guests straight from the pan.
THE POUR: A robust, fruit-forward Zinfandel or a heavy Chianti Classico. The wine needs significant tannin structure and weight to stand up to the aggressive spice of the Italian sausage and the concentrated tomato paste.
THE VIBE: Casual, fast-paced, and incredibly satisfying. This is high-impact comfort food engineered for nights when time is short but culinary compromise is unacceptable.

Chef’s Recommendations

Bread for the Skillet: Garden Focaccia
The Pitcher for the Table: Weekend Sangria
The Bright Greens: Balsamic Corn & Watercress Salad
The Simple Vegetable: Olive Oil Poached Carrots

The Estate Table

Build tonight’s menu around this dish.

✦ Set the Table

Ziti Skillet

Ziti Skillet

The full recipe lives in the Vault

The Heart of the Table

Neighborly Grace

✨ The Gilded Swaps