Sprig Originals's kitchen / Cheesy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Cheesy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
By Sprig Originals · with credit
Adapted from themodernproper.com
Worked out from this recipe's ingredients. If you're cooking for an allergy, always read the full ingredient list.
Ziti tossed in a creamy tomato-sausage sauce, buried under two kinds of mozzarella and baked until the top is golden and the edges bubble. It feeds a crowd, reheats beautifully, and disappears fast at the kids' end of the table.
Ingredients
Pasta and sauce
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Cheese and finishing
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, cook the ziti to al dente following the package timing, then drain and set aside.
- While the water heats, set a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and cook about 8 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles with a spoon, until it's browned and the onion has gone soft. Tip off and discard any pooled fat.
- Pour in the marinara, tomato sauce, salt, Italian seasoning and heavy cream. Stir until smooth and glossy, then fold in the drained ziti along with 1 1/2 cups of the shredded mozzarella so it melts into the sauce.
- Scrape everything into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread it level. Lay the fresh mozzarella slices over the top and scatter on the remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is hot through. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the Parmesan, and bake uncovered another 5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the edges bubble.
- Let the dish rest 10 minutes so it sets enough to scoop, then shower with fresh basil and serve.
Chef's tips
- Undercook the pasta by a minute — it keeps soaking up sauce in the oven and you want it tender, not mushy.
- Assemble the whole dish up to a day ahead, refrigerate covered, and add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time.
- If your crowd likes a little heat, put a small bowl of red chili flakes on the table so the adults can help themselves.
- Sweet Italian sausage keeps this gentle for younger eaters; save hot sausage for a grown-up night.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
721calories
36gprotein
58gcarbs
38gfat
Estimates only — values vary with brands and portions.
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