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–+ servings
Ziti

Ziti - Baked

An incredibly flavorful casserole of homemade pasta sauce and savory Italian sausage blended with a decadent Ricotta cheese.
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Beef, Pasta, Pork, Turkey
Method Oven
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
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.

Copyright © 2021 - 2025 - Mike Zets, Sylvania, Ohio USA - All Rights Reserved