Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Baked Ziti
- 1.5 lb ziti pasta
- 1.5 lb Italian sausage (ground)
- 1.5 cup Yellow onion (diced)
- 6 whole Garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
- 36 oz marinara sauce (jarred or homemade)
- 22.5 oz Tomato Sauce (canned)
- 1.5 tsp Sea salt
- 1.5 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 0.75 cup Heavy Cream
- 3 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
- 12 oz Mozzarella Cheese (fresh, thinly sliced)
- 0.375 cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
- 0.375 tsp red chili flakes (for serving)
- 3 tbsp Fresh Basil (minced)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven — Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.
- Cook Pasta — Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Salt the water generously. Cook the ziti pasta until just barely al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- Brown Sausage and Sauté Aromatics — Set a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add ground Italian sausage, diced yellow onion, and roughly chopped garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the sausage is browned and the onions are softened, about 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat and discard.
- Add Sauces and Seasonings — Add marinara sauce, tomato sauce, sea salt, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream to the pot. Stir well until combined.
- Combine Pasta and Cheese — Stir in the cooked ziti pasta and 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese into the sauce mixture.
- Assemble in Baking Dish — Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and Bake — Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 375°F, until the pasta is tender.
- Uncover and Finish Baking — Remove the foil, sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top, and return the dish to the oven uncovered. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve — Serve the baked ziti sprinkled with red chili flakes and minced fresh basil.