Baked Ziti with Sausage

5 from 2 votes

Baked ziti with sausage, three types of cheese, and homemade marinara sauce is a classic pasta bake that's pure comfort food!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword baked ziti recipe, baked ziti sausage, baked ziti with italian sausage, Baked Ziti with Sausage, baked ziti with sausage recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings people

Calories 617kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Ingredients

1 lb. dry ziti pasta
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¾ cup dry red wine
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
8 ounces (about 2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or sub with 1 ½ tablespoons of dried basil or dried Italian seasoning)
½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Optional garnish: additional chopped fresh basil or other herbs, such as parsley

Instructions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook ziti according to package instructions for very al dente, about 9 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to undercook the pasta just a bit.) Drain; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the oven rack in the middle position. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a 12-inch cast iron skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings in the skillet and drain off the rest (if you don't have enough fat in the skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil).
Add the garlic and red pepper to the drippings in the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a boil, and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (these add tons of flavor to your sauce). Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Stir in cooked sausage, cooked pasta, 1 cup of mozzarella, and the basil.
Add dollops of ricotta and stir gently to swirl, leaving streaks and pockets of ricotta throughout. Top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and the Parmesan.
Transfer skillet to the oven and bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes. Garnish with additional basil and serve.

Video

Notes

If you don't have a 12-inch cast iron skillet or a large Dutch oven, you can transfer the pasta mixture to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish before baking.

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