Description
This Cheesy Baked Ziti features a delightful blend of ziti pasta, Italian sausage, tangy marinara, and creamy cheeses, making it a perfect choice for a quick and satisfying meal that the whole family will enjoy.
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 a large pot of salted water and cook the ziti until al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the sausage with the onion and garlic, breaking apart the meat, for about 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the 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.
- Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.
- Layer the top with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining shredded mozzarella. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the pasta is tender. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.
- Serve hot, topped with red chili flakes and fresh basil.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, replace the Italian sausage with a mix of sautéed vegetables such as bell peppers and mushrooms.
Feel free to add more garlic for extra flavor or use a different cheese like provolone.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 930mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 17g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 105mg