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This easy Baked Ziti recipe with sausage and ricotta is a delicious cheesy Italian pasta casserole dinner that is packed with flavor.
Why this recipe works so well:
If you’re a lover of delicious easy Italian food baked in one cheesy casserole, you’re gonna love this Baked Ziti recipe!
- Tasty Italian sausage gets cooked with onion and garlic and then smothered in sauce to bring all the flavors together.
- The ziti pasta is tossed in some of that sauce so that it gets absorbed into each noodle.
- The pasta, sauce, and cheese are layered perfectly so that each bite has a little bit of everything!
Pair this tasty meal with a homemade Caesar salad and some garlic bread and you’ll have a complete dinner!
Basic ingredients needed:
- Ziti pasta – you can also use other kinds of pasta like penne if you wish
- Marinara sauce – I used one large 28 ounce jar but you can always use homemade
- Italian sausage – I buy it in bulk from the deli counter or make my own from ground pork and seasonings
- Onion, garlic, fresh basil, and dried Italian seasonings give this recipe great flavor
- Cheese – freshly grated parmesan, creamy ricotta, and grated mozzarella
How to make this easy Baked Ziti recipe:
There are just a few steps to this easy recipe. It takes a bit of time to prep and cook, but can easily be a weekday dinner option.
Cook the pasta:
In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta al dente.
Make the sauce:
- While the pasta is cooking, you’ll cook the Italian sausage on the stove. It should release a fair amount of oil as it cooks.
- When the sausage is about half way done, you’ll add the onion. This will absorb that oil.
- Cook until the sausage gets brown and crumbly. Just before it’s done, add the garlic and Italian seasonings.
- Add the pasta sauce to the sausage and stir to combine.
Cook the Italian sausage Add onion, garlic, seasonings Done when brown and crumbly Add marinara sauce
Prepare the Baked Ziti casserole:
You can layer in any order you choose, but here’s how I made my Baked Ziti.
- I start by adding a layer of the sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish.
- I tossed the cooked ziti with some of the meat sauce and added it to the dish.
- Then I spread about half of the ricotta on top.
- Next I added the remaining meat sauce.
- After that I spread the remaining ricotta cheese on top with the fresh basil.
- Finally, I topped the Baked Ziti with the mozzarella and parmesan. This gets covered and baked.
Add a layer of sauce to the bottom mix pasta with more sauce add a layer of ricotta more pasta and sauce more ricotta and basil top with mozzarella and parmesan
Cooking tips for best results:
- I highly recommend using the highest quality ingredients. Whole milk ricotta and mozzarella taste the best. Real Italian parmesan that you grate yourself will give you the best results. Be sure to use your favorite marinara sauce too.
- Make ahead directions: You can make this recipe all the way up to the point where the Baked Ziti is put into the oven. Instead, you can cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat. If you freeze, be sure to thaw to room temperature before baking.
- Storage: Keep leftover Baked Ziti in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Best if eaten within a few days.
- Reheating: You can reheat in the microwave on 50% power until heated through or you can reheat in the oven, covered, until the cheese is melted.
Check out these other Italian casserole dinner recipes:
- The BEST Classic Homemade Lasagna Recipe
- Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
- Stuffed Shells
- Manicotti
- Creamy Sausage Mushroom Rigatoni
- Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Casserole
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This easy Baked Ziti recipe with sausage and ricotta is a delicious cheesy Italian pasta casserole dinner that is packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 1 pound ziti pasta penne or rigatoni work just as well
- 1 tablespoon salt for boiling only
Baked Ziti:
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 28 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh basil thinly sliced
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese grated, roughly 2 cups
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water (at least 2 quarts of water with a full tablespoon of salt) to a strong boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (cooked but firm – it will continue cooking in the oven). When done, drain the pasta and set aside.
Make the meat sauce:
- Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, brown the sausage in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat.
- Once the meat is starting to brown, add onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. The onions should absorb any excess oil in the pan. Add garlic and seasonings, stir to combine and cook for a few more minutes.
- Add sauce and bring to a simmer.
Bake the Baked Ziti casserole:
- Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole pan.
- Combine a large spoonful of the sauce with the cooked ziti and add the pasta to the casserole dish.
- Spoon about half of the ricotta cheese onto the pasta and spread to create an even layer.
- Spread the remaining meat sauce onto the pasta.
- Top with remaining ricotta cheese and fresh basil.
- Add the remaining pasta. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta and cover casserole with the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.
- Bake in oven at 350°F, covered with foil or an oven safe lid, for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid and continue cooking until the top is lightly browned and the cheese melted.
Notes
- I highly recommend using the highest quality ingredients. Whole milk ricotta and mozzarella taste the best. Real Italian parmesan that you grate yourself will give you the best results. Be sure to use your favorite marinara sauce too.
- Make ahead directions: You can make this recipe all the way up to the point where the Baked Ziti is put into the oven. Instead, you can cover and refrigerate or freeze until ready to eat. If you freeze, be sure to thaw to room temperature before baking.
- Storage: Keep leftover Baked Ziti in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Best if eaten within a few days.
- Reheating: You can reheat in the microwave on 50% power until heated through or you can reheat in the oven, covered, until the cheese is melted.
Nutrition
Calories: 683kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 105mg, Sodium: 2241mg, Potassium: 737mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 1045IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 472mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave me a comment below
I just love this ziti – it’s too good not to give it a try before the year ends. So cheesy (perfect for me) and so delicious-looking, too!
Anything with lots of melty cheese and I am in! I’m so glad I found your ziti recipe for tonight because it’s easy and I know my family will love it!
Such an easy dinner for any night of the week! My family gobbled it up so fast. I’ll be making this again for sure!
We love making baked ziti, especially as a freezer meal. The flavors are even better the next day!
Oh, cheese baked pasta on a Saturday night. Thank you for giving me an idea what to cook this weekend.
I’ve tried so many versions of this recipe. This one is my fave.I like hot sausage and tons of cheese.
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