Description
Baked Ziti is a comforting Italian-American dish made with ziti pasta, spicy Italian sausage, and a rich tomato sauce topped with cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 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
- ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti noodles and cook according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set the oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. Add minced garlic and cook until soft, about 1 minute.
- Add crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Add cream, ⅓ cup of pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil. Stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the pot with the pasta and stir gently.
- Spoon half of the mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the remaining pecorino Romano.
- Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle with more basil and serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly: Assemble and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for 25 minutes covered, then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 613 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 913 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
Keywords: Baked Ziti, Italian pasta, comfort food