themodernproper.com
Baked Ziti
Warm, hearty and easy to make, this Baked Ziti recipe layers ziti pasta, rich tomato-sausage sauce, creamy mozzarella and Parmesan, then bakes until golden and bubbly — perfect for cozy dinners, weeknight meals, or feeding a crowd.
Prep
35 min
Cook
25 min
Total
1h
Serves
8
Instructions
- 01
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.
- 02
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it. Cook the ziti, al dente according to the package instructions. Drain.
- 03
Meanwhile, set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is browned and the onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Drain off any excess fat into a small bowl, discard.
- 04
Add the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, salt, Italian seasoning and heavy cream, stir until combined. Stir in the cooked ziti and 1½ cups shredded mozzarella.
- 05
Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
- 06
Top with the fresh mozzarella slices and remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella, cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Remove the dish from the oven, discard the foil and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Return to the oven uncovered and bake for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
- 07
Serve sprinkled with chili flakes and fresh basil.
Nutrition
per serving
- Calories
- 575
- Protein
- 35grams
- Carbs
- 52grams
- Fat
- 26grams
- Fiber
- 4grams
- Sugar
- 4grams
- Sat. fat
- 12grams
- Sodium
- 914milligrams
- Cholesterol
- 80milligrams
Variations & swaps
Baked Ziti Ingredients + Swaps
- Ziti pasta: Ziti is a hollow pasta shape that is more narrow than rigatoni, and it usually has smooth sides. If you have trouble finding it, penne or even rigatoni is a fine substitute.
- Red sauce: I use both marinara sauce & tomato sauce. The marinara can be jarred or homemade, and the tomato sauce is the just kind you’ll find in a can.
- Cheese: Three cheeses make my baked ziti a recipe that would do Carmela Soprano proud. You’ll need Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, and fresh mozzarella, the kind you would use for a caprese salad.
- Sausage: Sweet Italian sausage or hot Italian sausage both work well. Or you can swap in a vegetarian sausage like Beyond or Impossible.
- Onions & garlic: Don’t cook Italian food without ‘em!
- Heavy cream: If you don’t do cream, you could skip it, but it adds so much richness to the baked ziti! It makes it taste like a drippy-candle Italian restaurant dinner.
- Fresh basil: Baked ziti needs a little lift, and fresh basil is *chef’s kiss!*
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