Baked (Not) Ziti

This was supposed to be baked ziti but the store was out of ziti! I used penne pasta instead.   Click here to see the video!​

Baked (Not) Ziti
1 lb of mild Italian sausage
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 diced yellow onion or ½ container of Guidry’s fresh seasoning blend
2 tbs minced garlic
3 oz of tomato paste
½ cup of red wine or red cooking wine
¼ cup of water
1 28oz can of Cento crush tomatoes
1 lb of dried ziti (I couldn’t find any, so I used Penne)
Onion Powder (to taste)
Garlic Powder (to taste)
Black Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Italian Seasoning (to taste)
Fresh Parsley (chopped finely to garnish)
1 cup of Italian Blend Cheese
2 cups of Mozzarella/Provolone Mix
1 30 oz container of ricotta cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350.
1. In a skillet, add the Italian sausage and ground beef and season with dry seasonings. 
2.  Once meat is browned, add the diced onions and/or seasoning blend and cook until softened. Drain excess grease.
3. Add minced garlic and cook 2-3 minutes longer.
4.  Stir in crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add wine and water.
5.  Add fresh basil and season to taste.
6.  Cover the sauce and allow it to simmer.
7.  In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Italian cheese blend and black pepper.  Set aside.
8.  Boil pasta according to package directions and drain.
9.  Add pasta back to the pot it was boiled in and stir in a cup of sauce.  Coat the pasta well.
9.  In a greased, 9X12 inch pan, add half of the coated pasta in the pan.
10.  Add half of the ricotta cheese mix and spread.  I added the cheese in dollops.
11.  Add half of the sauce on top of that and spread it with a spoon.
12.  Add the remaining coated pasta and repeat this layering process (steps 10-11) in the same order.
13.  Add 2 cups of mozzarella or mozzarella/provolone mix to the top of the pan.
14.  Bake covered at 350 for 20 mins.
15.  Remove the covering and broil on medium for about 10-12 more minutes.
16.  Garnish with parsley and enjoy!
​