16 January, 2023
Ziti Casserole
Posted in : Beef, Pasta, Pork, Turkey on by : MikeZ
Ziti – Baked
An incredibly flavorful casserole of homemade pasta sauce and savory Italian sausage blended with a decadent Ricotta cheese.
Servings 8
Calories 726kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet with cover
- 6 Qt. Soup Pot
- 9” x 13” Baking Dish or Dutch Oven
INGREDIENTS
- 1 lb Ziti Pasta - cooked al Denté
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. EVOO
- 1 small Onion
- 2 medium Carrots
- 5-6 Garlic Cloves
- 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes - fire roasted
- 8 oz can Tomato Sauce
- 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
- 5-6 fresh Basil Leaves - minced
- 2 tsp. White Granulated Sugar
- 1-1.5 tsp. Coarse Salt
Meat
- 1 Tbsp. EVOO
- ½ small Onion
- 4 Garlic Cloves - minced
- 1 lb. Italian sausage - mild
- 1/2-1 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Cheese Mixture
- 12 oz Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
- ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese - shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese - grated
- 1 Tbsp. Parsley - chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Basil - chopped
- 1/2-1 tsp. Coarse Salt
- ½ tsp. Garlic Powder
Top Layer
- ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese - grated
- 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese - shredded
- 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
INSTRUCTIONS
Cheese Mixture
- In a small bowl, mix together ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheeses with herbs and seasoning. Mix until smooth.
Sauce
- Add EVOO to a heated covered sauce pan.
- Add chopped onion and carrots. Sauté until soft and onions are translucent.
- Add garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasoning, and herbs.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir occassionally to blen while cooking Meat.
Meat
- Add EVOO to a heated covered sauce pan.
- Stir in diced onions and let them sauté until starts to soften. Stir in garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Add meat and break with a wooden spoon.
- Cook until meat is cooked through then set aside.
Assembly
- Stir 3 cups of pasta sauce into the cooked meat mixture and add crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Then add cooked pasta and mix until combined.
- In a casserole dish, spread remaining pasta sauce on the bottom.
- Add half of ricotta mixture in dollops.
- Spread the remaining pasta/meat mixture evenly over the sauce and ricotta.
- Add remaining ricotta mixture over the pasta, in dollops.
- Spread grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella evenly over the entire casserole.
- Then lightly sprinkle Italian seasoning on top.
- Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes.
Notes
If using a deep casserole dish or Dutch Oven, increase the baking time to 25 minutes.
You may substitute ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey for the Italian sausage.
You may substitute ground beef, ground pork, or ground turkey for the Italian sausage.
Copyright © 2021 – 2024 – Mike Zets, Sylvania, Ohio USA – All Rights Reserved
