Baked Ziti with Sausage

In Italian-American homes and red-sauce restaurants alike, this dish has remained a standby for generations. The ingredients are simple and the proportions generous, forming layer upon layer of pasta, beef ragù, creamy béchamel, and a beautifully browned topping of melted mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. This recipe calls for sweet Italian sausage to boost the flavor of the meaty filling, but it works well with spicy sausage, too.

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. sweet Italian sausages, removed from casings and broken into ½ -inch chunks

1 medium carrot, minced

1 medium onion, minced

1 rib celery, minced

1½ lbs. ground beef chuck

½ cup dry red wine

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and puréed

3 tbsp. minced flat-leaf parsley Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

5 tbsp. flour

2½ cups milk

¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1½ lbs. pasta, preferably ziti

2½ cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Serves 10

1. To make the meat sauce: Heat the oil in a 6-qt. pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside. Add the carrots, onions, and celery and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the beef and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8–10 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato purée, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and the liquid has almost evaporated, about 1 hour. Stir in the reserved sausage and any juices from the plate, add the parsley, and season the sauce with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and set the meat sauce aside.

2. Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce: Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking constantly, until it begins to bubble, about 2 minutes. While whisking, add the milk in a thin, steady stream. Bring the milk to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 10–15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the nutmeg, season the béchamel sauce generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. Heat the oven to 400°F. Bring a 6-qt. pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring, until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain the pasta, transfer to a bowl, stir in the reserved meat sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Grease a 4-qt. oval baking dish with the remaining butter and add half the pasta mixture. Pour half the béchamel over the pasta, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Top the béchamel with the remaining pasta and then with the remaining béchamel. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano over the béchamel. Bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let the baked ziti sit for 10 minutes before serving.