Description
Baked ziti offers comfort straight from an Italian kitchen, packed with rich meat sauce and melted cheese that makes dinner feel like a warm hug. Cheesy layers of pasta bake into a crowd-pleasing meal your family will devour in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Sauce:
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 4 quarts water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onion
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- 5 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cheese Mixture:
- 2 cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional Garnish:
- Chopped parsley
- Additional Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil 4 quarts water with 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot. Cook 1 pound ziti pasta for 9-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water, keeping pasta slightly moist.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound Italian sausage, breaking into small pieces. Brown meat for 4-5 minutes.
- Add ½ cup finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Saute until onions turn translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in ¼ cup tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to intensify flavors. Pour in 28 ounces crushed tomatoes and 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes.
- Season sauce with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reserve 2 cups sauce for layering.
- Mix 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a bowl.
- Combine cooked ziti with remaining meat sauce in the Dutch oven, ensuring pasta is fully coated.
- Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish. Layer half the sauced pasta, then spread half the ricotta mixture.
- Top with half the reserved meat sauce. Repeat layers with remaining pasta, ricotta, and sauce.
- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Cover with greased aluminum foil.
- Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly.
- Rest ziti for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and Parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Make sure to salt your pasta water generously for the most flavorful base in your baked ziti.
- Break the sausage into small, uniform pieces while cooking to ensure even distribution of meat throughout the sauce.
- Let the ziti rest after baking to help the layers set and make cutting and serving easier.
- For a lighter version, substitute ground turkey for sausage and use part-skim ricotta and mozzarella cheeses to reduce overall calories.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Baked
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 597 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 722 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 106 mg