Baked Ziti with Sausage
Tender tubes of ziti wrapped in a fragrant sausage-tomato sauce, layered with creamy mozzarella and Parmesan, then baked until bubbling and golden-brown. A hands-on favorite after multiple kitchen tests to balance seasoning and texture.
Ingredients
Sauce & Sausage
- 1 pound Italian sausage casing removed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes
- 0.75 cup water
- 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Pasta & Cheese
- 1 pound ziti
- 1.5 cups mozzarella shredded
- 0.5 cup Parmesan grated
- fresh basil leaves optional, chopped
Instructions
Sauce & Sausage
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the Italian sausage until no pink remains, about 5 minutes, breaking it into pieces.1 pound Italian sausage
- Add the chopped onion and minced garlic; cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.28 ounce crushed tomatoes, 0.75 cup water, 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Pasta & Assembly
- Meanwhile, cook the ziti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain.
- Toss the drained ziti with the sauce. Spread half the pasta mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan.
- Repeat with remaining pasta and cheeses.
- Bake until bubbling around the edges, about 20 minutes. Switch to broil and allow the top to brown in spots, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.1 pound ziti, 1.5 cups mozzarella, 0.5 cup Parmesan
Notes
This recipe can be assembled a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake. Add 5 minutes to the baking time if baking straight from the fridge.
For best results, allow the baked ziti to rest after baking—this helps the layers set and improves sliceability.