Description
Cheesy Baked Ziti is a delightful pasta dish loaded with rich flavors from Italian sausage, melty mozzarella, and fresh basil. This easy recipe is perfect for a quick, comforting dinner that brings family together. Just a few simple ingredients create a hearty meal that everyone will love!
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.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned and onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in marinara sauce, tomato sauce, salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream until well combined. Add the cooked ziti and 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella, mixing thoroughly.
- Transfer the pasta mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with slices of fresh mozzarella and the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Remove foil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- Serve garnished with red chili flakes and fresh basil.
Notes
Feel free to substitute ground beef or turkey for the Italian sausage if preferred.
Using homemade marinara sauce adds a personal touch and extra flavor to this dish.
This baked ziti can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg