Description
This Cheesy Baked Ziti is a comforting Italian-American casserole featuring al dente pasta mixed with a savory Italian sausage marinara sauce, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. It’s baked to bubbly perfection, making it an ideal family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 (1-pound) box ziti (rigati or penne)
- 1 tablespoon salt (for pasta water)
Sauce & Meat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cheeses
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare dish: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook pasta: Bring about 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then the ziti pasta. Stir occasionally and cook until just al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Sauté aromatics and sausage: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook until translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bulk Italian sausage, crumble it with a spoon, and cook until browned. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Prepare sauce mixture: Return the sausage and onion mixture to heat. Add the marinara sauce and dried Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Combine well and then fold the cooked pasta into the sauce, coating it evenly.
- Layer the casserole: Spoon about half of the pasta and sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish. Stir the ricotta cheese in its container until smooth and drop dollops evenly over the pasta layer. Sprinkle with all the parmesan cheese and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Add second layer and cheese: Add the remaining pasta and sauce mixture on top. Finish by sprinkling the rest of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the dish.
- Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and the casserole is hot throughout.
- Rest and serve: Remove from oven and allow the baked ziti to rest for about 5 minutes before serving to let flavors meld and make serving easier.
- Optional step for toasted cheese: For a browned and toasted cheese topping, remove the foil cover during the last 5 minutes of baking to allow the cheese to brown slightly.
Notes
- To achieve a toasted, golden cheese topping, bake uncovered for the final 5 minutes instead of keeping the foil on.
- This recipe uses whole milk ricotta for creaminess; you can substitute part-skim ricotta to reduce fat content.
- The dish can be prepared ahead and refrigerated before baking; add a few extra minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the fridge.
- Use rigati or penne pasta if ziti is unavailable as a perfect alternative.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 690
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 2429mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 98mg
