Baked Ziti with Sausage

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

1. Pasta + flourtop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together659 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

2. Butter + milktop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

3. Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together12,525 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

4. Pasta + oniontop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,961 recipes

   Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

5. Pasta + mushroomtop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together569 recipes

   Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Flour

Thickens the milk into a smooth sauce that holds the pasta together.

Milk

Forms the liquid base of the sauce, which thickens as it heats.

Shredded cheddar cheese

Melts into the sauce to add richness and a creamy texture.

Parmesan cheese

Adds savory depth and helps the sauce turn smooth when melted.

Ziti

Provides the pasta body that the sauce coats and holds together.

Italian sausage

Adds meaty flavor and fat to the dish.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pasta, butter, mushroom, pepper, flour, milk, cheddar cheese):

1. Chivefits better
2. Spinachfits better
3. Shallotfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pasta, butter, mushroom, pepper, flour, milk, cheddar cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.