Description
This Cheesy Baked Ziti is a comforting and flavorful dish, packed with Italian sausage, creamy cheeses, and rich marinara sauce. Perfect for a quick dinner or a delightful family meal!
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 the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, onion, and garlic until the meat is browned and the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream until combined. Mix in the cooked ziti and 1½ cups shredded mozzarella.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining ½ cup of shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until pasta is tender. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake uncovered for about 5 more minutes until cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Serve with chili flakes and fresh basil on top.
Notes
Feel free to swap the Italian sausage for ground beef or turkey for a different flavor.
You can add vegetables like spinach or bell peppers for extra nutrition.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 80mg