Description
Indulge in a comforting and flavorful dish with this Baked Ziti recipe. It’s a perfect combination of ziti pasta, Italian sausage, creamy tomato sauce, and melty cheese, baked to perfection. A crowd-pleaser that’s easy to make and great for gatherings or weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 1 lb ziti noodles
Sauce:
- 1½ lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil ziti noodles until very al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare Sauce: Brown sausage in a pan, add garlic, crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream, pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil.
- Assemble: Combine sauce with pasta, layer in a baking dish with mozzarella and pecorino. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and browned.
Notes
- You can customize the spiciness by choosing between spicy or sweet Italian sausage.
- For a vegetarian option, use plant-based sausage crumbles.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms to the sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
