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4.3 from 150 votes

Easy Baked Ziti

This Easy Baked Ziti is a great Italian casserole recipe for feeding a crowd filled with pasta, sausage, and cheese.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry ziti pasta
  • 1 onion, diced finely
  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic 
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasonings
  • 2 (26 ounce) jars marinara sauce (I like Rao's)
  • 6 ounces Provolone cheese, sliced ( 9 rounds)
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups)
  • grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente according to package directions, about 8 minutes; drain.
  2. In a large skillet, brown onion and sausage (or beef ) over medium heat. Drain the fat. Add minced garlic and cook for a minute or so. Add the marinara sauce and Italian seasonings to the cooked sausage, and simmer 15 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2 meat sauce mixture, all of the Provolone cheese, all of the sour cream, remaining ziti, remaining sauce mixture and then mozzarella cheese. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
  4. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray so it doesn't stick to the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown. Top with fresh basil if desired.

Notes

  • Prepare up to step 3 before baking. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze unbaked casserole up to a month.
  • The night before using, pull from the freezer and thaw in the fridge overnight. To bake, cook covered with foil for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.