Easy Baked Ziti is a similar recipe to our Three Cheese Pasta Bake, but with red sauce and sausage. Either pasta recipe makes for an easy dinner, especially if you have a large family or are entertaining company.
Baked Pasta For the Win!
Every Tuesday night is Pasta Night at our house. We have so many “go-to” pasta dishes that we love, but I’m always anxious to try new ones because you really can’t go wrong with pasta and cheese, right?! Baked Ziti is an Italian-American dish that utilizes many classic Italian ingredients and flavors, but it did not specifically originate from Italy. The sauce is so flavorful and creamy (it has cream cheese) so you better believe it’s super yummy! It’s also topped with a delicious layer of mozzarella cheese, which is the best way to top off any recipe. This Easy Baked Ziti recipe was perfect for feeding my big family. I only made one large casserole dish full of ziti to feed all 8 of us. That’s what I love about baked pasta recipes for dinner—they’re ideal for feeding the masses! Pair it with a side salad or bread and you’re good to go!
How to Make Baked Ziti
PREP. Preheat the oven to 375°F. PASTA. Cook pasta in a large pot according to the package instructions. I like to boil the pasta to al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. Once cooked, drain the pasta. MEAT. While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage until no longer pink. Drain fat and set it aside. SAUCE. In a large pot over medium heat, combine Marinara sauce, tomatoes, cream cheese, and sour cream to a large pot and cook until well blended and cream cheese is melted. COMBINE & BAKE. Add pasta and sauce to the saucepan with ground beef and sausage and mix well. Add garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese and basil. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil.
Ingredient Tips
Marinara. Make your own Marinara or use your favorite store-bought brand. Or use homemade Spaghetti sauce or a store-bought jar of spaghetti sauce. Meat. Instead of a combination, use all ground beef or all sausage, or even substitute it with ground turkey or chicken. Dry pasta. When you bake pasta casseroles, the noodles on top tend to get a bit dried out. Covering the entire casserole with a layer of cheese helps. You can also cover the pan with aluminum foil during half of the bake time. Ziti. this is called Baked Ziti because of the type of noodles used, but you can easily change it to shells, pinwheel, penne, bow tie, or other similar-sized noodles. Whatever pasta you use, be sure to undercook it because it will finish cooking when it’s baked in the oven.
Variations
Pasta dishes are a perfect dish to sneak in some hidden veggies. Whatever veggie, spices, or meats you like with your pasta will probably work as additions to this Baked Ziti. Some other additions include:
Vegetables: shredded carrot, shredded zucchini, olives, mushrooms, diced bell peppers, chopped onion, or chopped fresh spinach Add heat with jalapeños, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce Extra meat: pepperoni or sprinkle with bacon crumbles Season with garlic salt, onion powder, or black pepper Cheese: add some parmesan cheese or stir in some ricotta cheese
Storing info
Make Easy Baked ziti ahead of time, and store either before or after baking. It’s so nice to whip it out on a busy night when you don’t have time to prepare dinner! STORE unbaked. Complete steps 1-6. Store it covered in the fridge for 1-2 days before adding the cheese and baking. To freeze: use a freezer-safe baking dish and complete steps 1-6. Wrap it with plastic and again with foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw before removing the wrappings, adding the cheese, and baking. STORE baked. Allow Baked Ziti to cool completely. Cover and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 days before reheating. To freeze: wrap it with plastic and then with foil and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating. To reheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Loosely cover the pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes or until warm.
For more delicious Pasta dishes, check out:
Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta Three Cheese Pasta Bake Parmesan Chicken Manicotti Macaroni And Cheese With Ham Stuffed Shells
