Baked Ziti Recipe with Sausage: An Italian Comfort Food Classic

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1.5 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add the ziti pasta and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain the pasta thoroughly.
3. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned (approximately 10 minutes). Drain off any excess grease and set the sausage aside.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, onion, egg, garlic, and oregano. Mix until well combined. Then, add the cooked pasta, browned sausage, salt, pepper, and half of the jar of spaghetti sauce. Stir everything together until evenly coated.
5. Spread 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce from the full jar evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta mixture, half of the remaining spaghetti sauce, and half of the shredded cheese. Repeat these layers once more using the remaining pasta, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle fresh basil over the top and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the cheese is melted and bubbly, approximately 5 to 10 more minutes.

Nutrition

• Calories: 649 kcal
• Fat Content: 27 g
• Fiber Content: 6 g
• Sugar Content: 15 g
• Sodium Content: 1485 mg
• Protein Content: 31 g
• Cholesterol Content: 86 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 69 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 12 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g