Coat the bottom of a large stock pot with a little olive oil. Remove the casings from the sausage and cook the sausage over medium to high heat. Use a wooden spoon to break up the links into small bitesize pieces.

When most of the sausage is no longer pink, add a diced medium onion, 3 finely diced or mashed garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry Italian seasonings, 1/2 teaspoon of dry oregano and 1/2 a teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir and cook over medium heat until the sausage is fully cooked and the onions are transparent.

Add a 24.5 oz jar of marinara sauce to the pot. Pour 1/2 cup red wine into the marinara jar and swirl it around to combine before pouring the wine into the pot.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of granulated sugar to the sauce and stir.

Pour a 28 oz can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes into a Pyrex bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands before adding to the pot. Remember to remove the core as it may not be enjoyable to eat. Add 1/2 cup of unflavored vodka to the Pyrex bowl and swirl around to combine and add the vodka to the pot.

Add 2-3 Tablespoons of fresh basil or basil paste. Stir to ensure all the ingredients are well combined.

Add the goat cheese or cream cheese to the sauce and stir until the cheese has melded into the tomato sauce. Use the wooden spoon to press the cheese against the side of the pot and stir back into the sauce. Taste and reseason the sauce, if needed. Cover the pot , reduce the temperature to low and simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta.

Preheat your oven to 350℉ and butter a 9X13 oven safe baking dish.

In a separate pot, add enough water to cook the pasta and bring the water to a boil. Add a good pinch of kosher salt, then follow the packaging instructions for cooking times.  You want the pasta to cook al dente since it will continue cooking in the oven.

Note: If the sauce has thickened, add a little pasta water to loosen it up. Add ¼ cup or so.

Reserve 2-3 cups of sauce and set aside.

Use a kitchen spider to scoop and drain the pasta before transferring it to the pot. Combine well and determine the sauce to pasta ratio is to your liking – if you want it saucier, add from the reserved sauce.

Layer the ziti like a lasagna. Add a few ladles of pasta into the prepared baking dish and top it with Italian cheese. Add the remaining pasta as your second layer. If you want more sauce, pour as much reserved sauce as you like over the pasta and top with extra cheese.

Note: Refrigerate or freeze any reserved sauce in a freezer save container or Ziploc bag for a quick weeknight meal. If frozen, thaw in the fridge the day before.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with minced parsley serve. Enjoy!