Simple Recipes for Every Day
Baked Ziti

- Serves: 8
- Prep Time: 35 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage, ground
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce or homemade
- 1 (14-ounce) jar tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounce fresh mozzarella, sliced
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, for serving
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the center position.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and salt it. Cook the ziti, al dente according to the package instructions. Drain.
Meanwhile, set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and garlic and cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned and the onions are softened, about 8 minutes. If there is an excess amount of fat, drain off as much as possible into a small heat proof bowl.
Add the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, salt, Italian seasoning and heavy cream, stir until combined. Stir in the pasta and 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
Transfer the pasta and marinara/meat sauce to a 9x13 baking dish.
Top with the fresh mozzarella slices and remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella, cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven, uncover and transfer back to the oven. Cook for 5 more minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and the sauce is bubbling.
Serve sprinkled with Parmesan, chili flakes and fresh basil.