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Classic Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

Italian sausage brings its own seasoning (fennel, garlic, pepper), so the sauce tastes complex with almost no effort. Ricotta mixed with egg stays creamy in the oven instead of turning grainy. Ziti's hollow tubes trap sauce inside.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ziti pasta
  • 1 lb bulk Italian sausage sweet or hot
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced (garlic in the last 30 seconds of browning — it burns fast)
  • 1 jar 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 container 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg binds the ricotta so it stays creamy, not runny
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil optional
  • Salt and black pepper

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  2. Cook the ziti in well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes LESS than the package directions. Drain (don't rinse — the starch helps the sauce cling).
  3. While the pasta cooks, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds. Drain excess fat.
  4. Stir the marinara and Italian seasoning into the sausage. Simmer 5 minutes so the flavors marry.
  5. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, half the Parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
  6. Combine the drained pasta with the sausage sauce. Spread half in the baking dish, dollop over the ricotta mixture and spread gently, then add the remaining pasta mixture.
  7. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with sprayed foil and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 12 to 15 minutes more until bubbly and golden.
  8. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Top with basil.