Baked Ziti with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

Any meal with pasta in it is pretty high up on my list, and this casserole is right up there. I normally don't make very many casseroles, but I really like this one because it has fresh basil in it and tastes very light and fresh. The recipe is from my mom, and I think she got it out of Cooking Light quite a few years ago. When I make it, I cut everything in half and put it in a 9x9 dish.
When I made it last night, I made the whole recipe and put it in two separate 9x9 dishes and took one of them over to Paul and Petrina's since they just had their baby girl, Brynn! She is adorable with a head full of dark hair, and she is so lucky to have a fun big brother, Emerson, to play with =)

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

1 lb. package uncooked ziti
1 lb. sweet turkey Italian sausage links ( I use country sausage)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta and drain. Cook sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 9x13 casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan. Repeat layers. bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Serves: 4-6