When given the choice for dinner I pick Maggiano’s every time – every time – and my favorite dish there by far is the Taylor Street Baked Ziti.

Today I’m sharing my best take on an at-home version of the Maggiano’s classic that you too can prepare and enjoy yourself.

Pomodoro Sauce

We’ll start with the sauce first. I got the inspiration for my sauce from a pomodoro recipe I found online (link no longer available). My recipe will make a double batch (approximately 18 cups of finished sauce) so start with a large stock pot, and keep some freezer containers handy.

What you need

7 tbsp virgin olive oil
1 large onion
8 cloves of minced garlic (or 1/4 cup of the ready-to-use minced kind)
8 – 14.5 oz cans of diced tomato
1-1/2 – 2 cups red pepper puree (2 large peppers blended into pulp with 2 tbsp water)
2 – 6 oz. cans tomato paste
4 tsp sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp dried basil
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup fat free half and half

How to make it

1.  Heat oil in a large pot.  Add onion & garlic and sauté until soft.
2.  Blend cans of diced tomatoes and add to pot.  Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
3.  Add red pepper puree, tomato paste, sugar, basil, pepper, italian seasonings, and salt to taste.
4.  Simmer for 30-60 minutes.
5.  Add half and half stir well.

Now that we’ve got the sauce done, let’s make the rest of it!

Baked Ziti

What you need

2 boxes of Rigatoni pasta
9+ cups Pomodoro Sauce (from recipe above)
1.2 lb Mild Italian Sausage (uncased)
1 pkg sliced provolone cheese (12 slices total)
Parmesan cheese to taste

How to make it

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350F.  Spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Set aside.
2.  Cook rigatoni according to package instructions.  Set aside.
3.  Brown italian sausage with a little olive oil. Drain, cool and set aside.
4.  Combine sausage, rigatoni, and pomodoro sauce, and place in baking dish.
5.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese to taste on top of mixture.
6.  Place sliced provolone cheese on top of mixture covering the entire baking dish.
7.  Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. If the dish is still relatively hot from preparation, 15 minutes may be sufficient.
8.  Serve with additional sauce as garnish.