Baked Ziti

4.50 from 8 votes

Cheesy and saucy, Baked Ziti is an Italian-American pasta recipe and one of our favorite comfort food casserole dishes ever. The tubular ziti pasta soaks up the deliciously sauce and is perfect with the crumbled Italian sausage for a weeknight dinner that's also incredibly freezer-friendly.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

1 pound ziti pasta
1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese
2 large eggs beaten
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese divided
1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed
4 garlic cloves minced
1 (28-ounce) jar marinara sauce (we like Rao's)
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces fresh mozzarella torn into pieces
2 Tablespoons fresh basil sliced into thin strips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Season the water with 1 tablespoon of salt and add the pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until barely al dente, according to package directions, usually about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain and set aside.
1 pound ziti pasta
In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, grated mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Set aside.
1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese, 2 large eggs, 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet or the same pot used to cook the pasta, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
1 pound mild Italian sausage, 4 garlic cloves
Add the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and black pepper to the browned sausage. Stir to combine.
1 (28-ounce) jar marinara sauce, 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Add the cooked pasta and cottage cheese mixture to the sausage, stirring until combined. Transfer the pasta and meat sauce to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and torn fresh mozzarella.
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and bubbling.
Remove the baked ziti from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil before serving.
2 Tablespoons fresh basil

Notes

Freezing: Use a disposable aluminum pan. Assemble, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then bake as usual, adding an additional 10-15 minutes if needed to heat all the way through. If baking straight from frozen, decrease oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 60 minutes, covered, then remove foil and bake another 30-40 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Storage: Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Pasta shape: If you can't find ziti, penne or rigatoni will work.
Italian seasoning: If you don't have Italian seasoning, you can make your own by using 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and 1/2 teaspoon each dried rosemary and thyme.
Marinara sauce: If you don't have marinara sauce, you can just use a 28-ounce can of tomato sauce and double the amount of Italian seasoning. Simmer the sauce with the cooked sausage for 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.
Cheese: You can use 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese instead of half grated and half fresh mozzarella. Or use cubed mozzarella cheese.
This recipe is on page 155 of my cookbook, House of Nash Eats Everyday!

Nutrition

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