Baked Ziti with Sausage
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This bubbling baked ziti is perfect for feeding a crowd, and it freezes well too.
Photo by Johnny Miller, (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
This baked ziti is a MAJOR family-pleaser. Loaded with Italian sausage, which packs a ton of flavor, it’s similar to meat lasagna but without the fuss; it’s easy enough for a weeknight but also special enough for company; and it makes a great prep-ahead potluck dish. To save time, go ahead and use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese from a bag; just be sure it’s made from whole milk (low-fat won’t taste nearly as good). While the baked ziti is in the oven, throw together a big Italian salad and warm some bread, and dinner is served!
What You’ll Need to Make Baked Ziti with Sausage
Before we get to the step-by-step instructions, a few words about the ingredients:
- Ricotta cheese is a traditional addition to baked ziti, but I leave it out because it has a tendency to get dry and grainy when baked. I use heavy cream to add richness instead.
- For the mozzarella cheese, I recommend using whole milk mozzarella; it melts beautifully. You can purchase a plastic-wrapped brick of mozzarella (pictured above and sold in the dairy case) and shred it yourself. (To make it easier to work with, pop it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes prior to shredding.) Or, to save time time, use pre-shredded mozzarella; just be sure it is made from whole milk. Avoid fresh buffalo mozzarella, which is best suited for salads.
- Many grocers sell bulk Italian sausage (pictured above), which is simply ground sausage without the casings. If you can’t find it, you can ask your butcher to take the meat out of the casings or do it yourself.
Step-by-Step Instructions For Baked Ziti
Step 1: Boil the Noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package instructions until a few minutes shy of al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and crumble the sausage into the pan.
Cook the sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate.
Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, 1/3 cup of the pecorino Romano, and basil to the pan.
Then stir in the cooked sausage.
Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine.
Step 3: Assemble & Bake
Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the remaining pecorino Romano.
Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano.
Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
How To Make Baked Ziti Ahead
The dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.
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Video Tutorial
Baked Ziti with Sausage
This bubbling baked ziti is perfect for feeding a crowd, and it freezes well too.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 1.5 lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don't have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, sugar and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream, ⅓ cup of the pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella and half the remaining pecorino Romano. Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and pecorino Romano. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months. (If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.) Whether refrigerated or frozen and defrosted, bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 613
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Sodium: 913 mg
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Just thought I would share this with you and your many devotees.
I had made this dish as written on many occasions always to rave reviews. Recently I prepared the sauce a day-in advance of making your classic lasagna. Feeling lazy on “game day” I used the lasagna sauce in the ziti recipe, but did include the fresh basil. Small but significant change elevated this dish from wow to outstanding.
Absolutely 💯 sauce mixture. Couldn’t really find Italian sausage in Ireland, so subbed a small pack of something similar and padded out with @supervalu pork sausage.
Made a few of these in my last month of pregnancy and froze. So glad I did! My husband and I are loving them, so comforting and heats up nicely.
The BEST baked ziti recipe! I do not miss the ricotta AT ALL. So much better with the cream! The sauce is delicious … simply PERFECT!
I’m having trouble finding whole milk mozzarella cheese. Could I substitute havarti?
Hi Lynda, Havarti has a stronger flavor than mozzarella, but it will work. Hope you enjoy!
Oh my goodness. I just made this. According to recipe. And it is so creamy, rich and delicious – it’s hard to believe how simple the ingredients and recipe are. *chef’s kiss*
Jenn,
I have made this recipe for a couple of years now. My family absolutely loves it. Would not change a thing.
Hi Jen
What brand of crushed tomatoes do you prefer to use?
Thanks
Donna
Hi Donna, my favorite brand is San Marzano. 🙂
Yum! I followed recipe exactly. Froze 1/2 and looking forward to having it again.
Comfort food perfection! Thank you Jenn for another great recipe!
Easy and oh so good!!
This dish was so easy to make and incredibly tasty! Thank you
I have made this recipe a number of times and it’s always a big hit! I want to make it again and am wondering if substituting a 28oz jar of Rao’s marinara sauce for the tomatoes would change it too much? I have two big jars that I would like to use up. I would still add the cream and the basil as directed.
Hi Tess, I think that’s doable, but you may want to cut back on the added salt and sugar a little. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I do that all the time, it works perfectly!
I made this yesterday for my husband’s birthday dinner, and he and all of our guests went crazy for it. My husband commented that it was better than any pasta dish he has had in a restaurant. And our 15-year-old grandson had 3 servings. I think that says something, too.
This is the best pasta dish I’ve ever made at home. I made it for a small dinner party yesterday and it was a hit. My husband said he prefers this over any of the pasta dishes at our favorite Italian restaurant. Really? Yes.
Hi looking forward to making it for a potluck again. If I baked it the night before, how do I reheat it? Thank you!
Hi Maria, I’d reheat it, covered, in a 350-degree oven, until hot int he middle. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Wowers! Super easy and delicious! Definitely making it again!
Absolutely delicious! Easy recipe to follow. My husband doesn’t like leftover pasta and he liked it better the second day. This one is a keeper – sooooo good!
Magnifico!
Hi I love your casserole dish. Which brand is this and what size? If i were to double the recipe is it best to use 2 pans or can I use one big size ( what size?)
Hi Marie, That dish is really old and I’m not sure where I got it/what brand it is, but you can find something similar here. It’s a 9 x 13-inch dish. If you’re doubling it, you’ll get the most even baking by using two 9 x 13’s. Hope that helps!
2 pans
I’ve made this multiple times and it is always a hit with everyone! It is both a family favorite and my go to recipe for when I need to prepare a dinner for helping a neighbor. All they have to do is heat it up! Thanks Jen!
After making and enjoying your chicken cacciatore recipe in the Epoch Times yesterday, I found your blog, and made this for dinner tonight…it did not disappoint! Excellent and delicious!
Easy and delicious. I did add an extra 15oz can of crushed tomatoes as I found making it the first time it was too dry. Highly recommend for a family or a group gathering.
Quick, easy and oh so delicious! I love Baked Ziti but have always used ricotta and wondered why it was dry. I actually started adding milk to it before I baked it but it really didn’t help much. When I read the comment in the recipe about ricotta drying out and getting grainy it made perfect sense. I made this exactly as written except I minced a shallot I had to use and it to the garlic. I will definitely make this again and will never use ricotta or part skim mozzarella in Ziti again!
Wonderfully delicious and so easy!! KEEPER. Made this with half the noodles and 1# bulk Italian sausage. Kept same amount of other ingredients. That worked for us. I have so many recipes flagged from the library cookbook copy that I purchased the cookbook this was in. Yes, I can get some recipes from the website but with so many recipes I had to own a clean copy. I also believe in supporting the author by purchasing it. I’ll print from the website to cook from and keep my treasured cookbook clean. Very happy with the results.
A must try recipe ! 2 family members have digestive issues with soft cheeses. So the cream works much better. Plus it is easier too.
I make this very close to as written. A local chef told us that he had to switch out his beloved Parmigiano Reggiano for something less expensive due to huge inflation. After lots of trial runs he now uses Grana Padano with equal success. Some of his regular customers commented by saying ” glad to see you went back to your original recipe” So being that he has kept the quality up & reduced this cost, that is his choice parmesan now. I tried it both ways in 2 different casseroles. BOTH worked out really well. Once or twice the dish turned out a bit drier than I liked. So now I add in 1 Cup of Rao’s regular marinara. It always works out well now. The rest of the recipe is the same. It has become a family favorite. Use her tip about freezing the fresh mozzerella for 15 to 25 min to make grating easier.
I was not able to find whole milk mozzarella at the store and now have part-skim instead. Will that make a huge difference (eg, should I go out and search for whole milk)? Thank you!
Hi Trisha, It won’t be quite as creamy/melty with the part-skim, but I definitely wouldn’t bother to go out and search for the full-fat. Hope you enjoy it!
I have made this once before and went right back to your recipe today. It is a great recipe. We love it. Will be enjoying it tomorrow night for New Years Eve! Thank you for sharing + Happy New Year!
Try looking in the separate cheese section located close to the deli. It is often near the blocks of parmesan cheese.