Servings
Font
Back
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
4.8 from 69 votes

Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

Easy Baked Ziti features al dente ziti pasta combined with a savory sauce of Italian sausage, garlic, crushed tomatoes, cream, Parmesan, and basil. Topped with melted mozzarella and baked until bubbly, it delivers a hearty, creamy pasta casserole with a savory tomato base and rich cheese finish.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 494 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Special Equipment
  • Large oven-safe skillet with a lid
Baked Ziti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 ounces ziti pasta penne, or rigatoni, about 2⅔ cups, uncooked
  • 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot, casings removed
  • 6 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 crushed tomatoes 14-ounce can
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • ⅓ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup Parmesan Cheese shredded, 2 oz
  • 1 teaspoon basil dried
  • 1½ cup mozzarella cheese 6 oz, shredded

Instructions

Start Pasta
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 475°F.
  2. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook ziti according to package instructions until just barely al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta as it will become too soft after baking. Drain and set aside.
Sauce
  1. While your water boils and pasta cooks, in a large, oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Brown sausage, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. If there is a lot of grease in the pan, drain sausage or use a paper towel to absorb some of the grease.
  2. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer,  covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in cooked pasta, cream, Parmesan, and basil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
Bake
  1. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • This recipe yields approximately six servings.
  • Cook the pasta to just al dente to prevent over-softening during baking.
  • Drain excess grease from the sausage before adding garlic to keep the sauce from becoming too oily.

Nutrition Information

Calories 494kcal (25%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 to 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 494

% Daily Value*

Calories 494kcal 25%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.