Recipe of the Day: The perfect pasta casserole for a weeknight

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

2 cups uncooked ziti pasta (6 ounces)

1 pound bulk Italian pork sausage

1 can heart-healthy tomato soup with Parmesan

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

Chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Add soup, pepper and cooked pasta; stir well.

In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.

Spoon pasta mixture into ungreased 11-by-7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon ricotta cheese mixture on top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes of bake time, until cheese melts and mixture is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil.

Tips: If you don’t have tomato soup, you can substitute 2 cups pasta sauce. Improvise for even more flavor — try using hot Italian pork sausage.

Makes 6 servings, each with 410 Calories 20 grams fat, 85 mg cholesterol, 850 mg sodium, 33 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 24 grams protein. Exchanges: 2 starch,1 1/2 high-fat meat; 1/2 fat; Carbohydrate choice: 2.

This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 8:23 AM with the headline "Recipe of the Day: The perfect pasta casserole for a weeknight."