Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this Best Ever Baked Ziti recipe. Layers of ziti pasta, flavorful sausage, creamy ricotta, and gooey cheese, all baked to perfection for a satisfying meal that will please the whole family.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Cheese Mixture:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish:
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta: Cook ziti pasta until al dente, drain, and set aside.
- Sauté sausage: Brown sausage in olive oil, add onion, garlic, then sauces and seasonings. Simmer.
- Mix cheeses: Combine ricotta, egg, and mozzarella.
- Layer: Layer pasta, ricotta mixture in a baking dish. Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake: Cover and bake, then uncover to brown the cheese.
- Rest and serve: Let it rest before serving. Garnish with parsley.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef or turkey for the sausage.
- Make it ahead and refrigerate before baking for an easy weeknight meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of dish
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
