Description
Enjoy a comforting plate of Cheesy Baked Ziti featuring layers of ziti pasta, rich marinara sauce, savory Italian sausage, and a blend of mozzarella cheeses. This dish is the ultimate quick dinner solution, perfect for busy nights when you crave something delicious and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 pound italian sausage, ground
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce, or homemade
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.
- Boil water in a large pot, adding salt, then cook the ziti until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the sausage, onion, and garlic. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are softened, approximately 8 minutes. Remove excess fat.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream until combined. Fold in the cooked ziti and 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella.
- Transfer the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Layer with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Serve garnished with chili flakes and fresh basil.
Notes
Feel free to replace Italian sausage with ground beef or turkey for a different flavor.
For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add more vegetables such as spinach or bell peppers.
Make it ahead: Assemble the dish and refrigerate before baking. Bake when ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg