Baked Ziti with Crumbled Sausage and Ricotta
My version of classic baked ziti is the ultimate Italian-American dish to satisfy a crowd of friends and family. The recipe makes a a big pasta casserole, layered with three types of cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan), marinara sauce, bulk Italian sausage, and pasta. It bakes in the oven for 25 minutes and turns out with a crusty border of pasta, bubbling sauce, and enough gooey mozzarella for a perfect cheese pull.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried ziti pasta penne, or mostaccioli
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage sweet or hot
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves grated or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or add to taste if you're using hot sausage
- 3½ cups marinara sauce or (1) 32-ounce jar of prepared tomato pasta sauce
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese drained of excess water
- ½ cup chopped parsley or fresh basil
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino Romano, or a ½+½ mixture of each
Instructions
This recipe will serve about 8 people, and can be doubled or tripled easily.
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
- Place a 10-12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and onion. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the sausage, using a spoon to crumble the meat, and cook until it's no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the ziti and cook for 6 minutes — or half the amount of time directed on the package. Be sure not to overcook the pasta, since it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, then dump it back into the pot and combine with the cooked sausage.
Assemble the baked ziti
- Put the ricotta in a medium bowl with the chopped parsley or basil. Stir together until smooth and creamy.
- Spread 1½ cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish (4 quart capacity). Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella evenly over the sauce. Add half of the ziti and sausage mixture, spreading to the edge of the dish. Spoon ½ cup of the ricotta mixture in even dollops over the pasta. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the mozzarella and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan or Roman cheese. Add another 1½ cups of marinara sauce, spreading it to the edges of the dish.
- Add the remaining ziti to the dish. Top evenly with the remaining ricotta and ¼ cup Parmesan. Pour the remaining ½ cup of marinara over the pasta. Distribute the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the top.
- Put the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (this helps to catch any overflow of bubbling sauce or cheese). Bake 25 minutes, or until the edges of the ziti are crisp and the cheese is melted and golden.
- Cool the baked ziti for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
To make baked ziti without meat: Cook the onion in as in step 2 using 2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened, then add the garlic, oregano and red pepper. Mix with your marinara sauce and proceed with the assembly.
To prep ahead: Assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate up to one day ahead of baking. To freeze: Cool the baked ziti completely, then cover and refrigerate until cold. Cover the dish securely and put in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cheeses:
- Mozzarella: For maximum goo and stretch, I recommend buying a bag of low-moisture, thickly shredded mozzarella made with whole milk.
- Ricotta cheese: Look for whole milk ricotta. This is my favorite brand because it's extra thick and creamy. Drain your ricotta in a tea strainer if necessary to remove excess water (you don't want that extra liquid pooling in the bottom of the baking dish).
- Grated cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano, or even better, a blend of both.
Nutrition
Calories: 628kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 29gFat: 33gSodium: 984mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g
