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Easy Baked Ziti With Italian Sausage & Three Cheeses

This ultimate baked ziti recipe combines the comfort of Italian tradition with the convenience of American casserole cooking. With its layers of perfectly cooked pasta, rich meat sauce, and three types of melted cheese, it's a dish that brings families together around the dinner table.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Comfort Food, Pasta
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 557
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb uncooked ziti or penne pasta
  • 1 lb Italian sausage sweet or hot
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 8 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh parsley and/or basil for garnish

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Boil salted water for pasta.
  2. Cook ziti 2-3 minutes less than package directions (just shy of al dente). Drain and set aside.
  3. Brown sausage in a large pot, 7-10 minutes, breaking apart as it cooks.
  4. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  5. Stir in crushed tomatoes, cream, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer 5 minutes.
  6. Add pasta to sauce, tossing to coat. Transfer half to a 9×13 dish. Add dollops of ricotta.
  7. Top with remaining pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan and mozzarella.
  8. Bake uncovered 20 minutes until bubbly. Broil briefly for golden-brown topping. Rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Cook pasta slightly under al dente since it will finish in the oven. Always use fresh-grated cheese for best melting. Let ziti rest before serving for clean slices.