Baked Ziti with Sausage

Warm and comforting this is an easy-to-make classic Baked Ziti recipe filled with Italian Sausage, tomato sauce and cheese to the max!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword baked ziti

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings servings

Calories 665kcal

Author Katie Cooksey

Ingredients

1 lb ziti pasta
1.25 lbs Sweet Italian Sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
25 oz marinara sauce I used Rao's
14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese drained and cut into cubes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese shredded
parsley fresh, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt generously and cook ziti according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a deep skillet with high sides, over medium-high heat, brown the sausage, breaking apart as it cooks. Drain grease if desired.
To the cooked sausage, add olive oil, onion, and garlic and saute until mostly tender, about 3 minutes.
Stir in diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, water, basil, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Stir well. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust seasonings if needed. Remove bay leaves.
Add cooked ziti to sauce and stir to coat. Add in fresh mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Stir to melt slightly.
Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with lightly greased foil and bake for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbling.
Top with fresh chopped parsley (optional) and serve hot.

Notes

Storing Baked Ziti

Allow to cool to room temperature before storing leftovers. Baked Ziti will last in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days! Which means it's great for leftovers and meal prep. Alternatively you can make a double batch and freeze one portion for later!

To Reheat baked ziti: You can either do this a couple of ways. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until heated through. The other way is to reheat in the oven. Preheat oven to 350° F. Allow baked ziti to sit on the counter while the oven preheats (so your casserole dish doesn't crack from extreme heat variations). Cover the top with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes until heated through.

How to Freeze Baked Ziti

One of the best parts about Baked Ziti is that it can be frozen to last even longer and make a super easy dinner for the future, I love when that happens!

Simply double the recipe, bake one portion, and with the other store in a freezable container before baking (those aluminum casserole dishes found at the grocery store would work great for this). Be sure to cover tightly with aluminium foil and then plastic wrap before freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To bake after freezing: Thaw in the fridge overnight then bake as according to the recipe directions.

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