Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage

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This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.

This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.
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Serve this restaurant-quality Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage at your next get-together! Your guests will love the rich flavors of this cheesy pasta dish. 

What Is Ziti?

Ziti is a medium-sized tubular pasta with a smooth surface. It is similar in size to penne pasta, the key difference being penne has ridges. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • water
  • kosher salt
  • pasta
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • Italian sausage
  • yellow onion
  • garlic
  • Italian seasoning
  • tomato paste
  • diced tomatoes
  • crushed tomatoes
  • black pepper
  • whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Italian parsley
  • large egg

(Note: Full recipe is at the bottom of the post)

This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.

How to Make Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage

  • In a large dutch oven or pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir until dissolved. Add the ziti and cook for about 9-10 minutes until al dente. 
  • Transfer the pasta to a colander and rinse with cool water for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Gently stir the pasta to ensure it doesn’t stick together. 
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. 
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 2 cups of the meat sauce and set it aside.
  • Add the pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Set aside
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, parsley, and the egg.
  • Place half of the pasta in a baking dish. Add half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top. Spread half of the reserved meat sauce on top. Add the remaining pasta on top, followed by the remaining ricotta cheese mixture and the remaining meat sauce.
  • Evenly sprinkle mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Spray a sheet of foil with oil and tent loosely over the baking dish. The foil should not touch the pasta. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and light golden brown.
This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.

Tips And Tricks

  • If you don’t have ziti pasta on hand, penne or rigatoni are good options.  
  • Use mild or spicy Italian sausage to suit your taste. 
  • Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package until just al dente.
  • If you don’t have ricotta on hand, use an equal amount of cottage cheese, cream cheese, or mascarpone cheese instead.
  • This casserole can be made up to 3 days in advance and then baked on the day you want to serve it. 

Serving Suggestions

This hearty pasta dish is ideal with a fresh garden salad, thick slices of crusty bread, or crisp garlic bread. 

How To Store Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage

Leftovers should be cooled to room temperature and then placed in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze the casserole, transfer it to a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

To reheat, thaw frozen leftovers in the fridge overnight. Place in a baking dish, cover with foil and bake in a 350°F oven until fully warm throughout. You can also cover the leftovers and reheat them in the microwave at reduced power until heated through.   

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This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage Recipe

By: Izzy
This Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage is hearty, comforting, and delicious. It’s a satisfying dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, three kinds of cheese, and a rich tomato sauce.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 5 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 14½ ounces diced tomatoes
  • 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, San Marzano brand recommended
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley, plus extra to garnish
  • 1 egg

Instructions 

  • In a large dutch oven or pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir until dissolved. Add the ziti and cook for about 9-10 minutes until al dente.
  • Transfer the pasta to a colander and rinse with cool water for about 30 seconds to stop the cooking process. Gently stir the pasta to ensure it doesn’t stick together.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for about 4-5 minutes until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 2 cups of the meat sauce and set it aside.
  • Add the pasta to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.
  • Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, parsley, and the egg.
  • Place half of the pasta in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Add half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top. Spread half of the reserved meat sauce on top. Add the remaining pasta on top, followed by the remaining ricotta cheese mixture and the remaining meat sauce.
  • Evenly sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese on top.
  • Spray a sheet of foil with oil and tent loosely over the baking dish. The foil should not touch the pasta. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake for about 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and light golden brown.
  • Serve garnished with chopped parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Net Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 2389mg | Potassium: 808mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 681IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate only and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods used.

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About Izzy

I'm Izzy, a food lover and photographer. Here you’ll find a collection of simple recipes that are perfect for busy people. My blog aims to help you make and enjoy delicious and healthy food at home.

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