Description
Cheesy Baked Ziti is a delightful dish featuring ziti pasta mixed with Italian sausage, marinara, and creamy cheeses. Perfect for a cozy weeknight dinner, its rich flavors and hearty texture make it a go-to comfort food that everyone will love.
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 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 onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Drain off excess fat.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream. Mix well. Add the cooked ziti and 1½ cups of shredded mozzarella, and stir to combine.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9×13 baking dish.
- Top with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining shredded mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until the pasta is tender. Remove the foil, sprinkle with Parmesan, and return to the oven uncovered for about 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with chili flakes and fresh basil on top.
Notes
For a vegetarian version, substitute sausage with ground mushrooms or plant-based meat.
Feel free to add vegetables like spinach or bell peppers for extra flavor and nutrition.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 90mg