Description
Cheesy Baked Ziti is a flavorful dish combining ziti pasta, savory Italian sausage, and a blend of mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Perfect for a quick dinner or family gathering!
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 until al dente according to the package instructions, then drain.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic, breaking up the meat with a spoon until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream until well combined. Fold in the cooked ziti and 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until tender. Remove foil, sprinkle with parmesan, and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes until cheese melts and sauce bubbles.
- Serve topped with red chili flakes and fresh basil.
Notes
For extra flavor, consider adding mushrooms or bell peppers to the sausage mixture.
Substituting ground turkey for sausage can create a lighter version without sacrificing taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1100mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 29g
- Cholesterol: 85mg