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Traditional Baked Ziti

This traditional baked ziti dish is really tasty! Very simple to prepare, packed with three types of cheese, very cheesy, and meaty. With its incredible flavor, this is a midweek dish that everyone will adore! This is a fantastic dish that freezes well and can be prepared in advance for any occasion. Serve with a salad and/or garlic bread for the best possible supper!
Prep Time30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Baked Ziti
Yield: 8

Materials

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground Italian sausage hot or mild
  • 1 medium-sized yellow onion finely chopped
  • 5 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
  • 1 28 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

For the baked ziti

  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 16 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese freshly shredded and divided
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
  • 1/4 cup basil chiffonade divided- see note below

Instructions

  • Set oven temperature to 375°F. Grease or lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, then put it aside.
  • Heat the butter and olive oil in a large dutch oven or deep pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the ground sausage after the mixture begins to sizzle. The sausage should be cooked for five to seven minutes, or until it is browned and somewhat crispy, using a wooden tool to break it up. Next, move the cooked sausage to a sanitized basin and put it aside using a slotted spoon.
  • In the same pan, add the chopped onion and stir. For two to three minutes, or until the onion is soft and transparent, sauté it. Next, add the minced garlic and stir the mixture for another one to two minutes, or until the garlic becomes aromatic.
  • Brown sugar and tomato paste should be added, and everything should be well combined. Add the dried basil, dry oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and smashed tomatoes with all of the liquid. Toss to mix everything well.
  • Reintroduce the cooked sausage that was set aside, stirring to combine the sauce. After lowering the heat to low, simmer the sauce for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • As the sauce is simmering, put a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, following the directions on the box.
  • In order to create the baked ziti, evenly distribute half of the pasta into the baking dish that has been prepped. Next, place little amounts of ricotta cheese straight over the spaghetti in various areas. Then, scatter half of the shredded mozzarella cheese and two tablespoons of the grated parmesan cheese on top of the ricotta cheese. Next, add two teaspoons, or half of the basil chiffonade, on top. Sprinkle the remaining half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses on top after spooning the remaining spaghetti over the surface in a uniform layer.
  • Pasta should be baked for 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and browned.
  • Give the cooked ziti ten minutes to cool in the baking dish. Serve right away after adding the last of the basil chiffonade as a garnish. Have fun!

Notes

  • Please read the blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.
  • For a basil chiffonade, arrange young basil leaves in a stack squarely on top of one another. Next, roll the leaves tightly into a log starting from the bottom. Cut the leaves crosswise into thin strips using a sharp knife.