When it comes to comfort food, nothing hits the spot quite like a warm, bubbling pasta bake. This Easy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage takes classic baked ziti to the next level with a rich, homemade meat sauce combined with a four-cheese ricotta blend that coats every single bite.
While you can certainly swap in store-bought marinara if you are short on time, making the sauce from scratch with simple pantry staples is what truly sets this recipe apart. It gives me total homemade lasagna vibes with the ricotta cheese, just takes less time to make.
Table of contents
If you are a fan of cozy sausage pasta bakes like this one, you will also love my Baked Penne with Sausage. And if you are in the mood for those classic lasagna flavors on a busy weeknight, be sure to check out my Easy Skillet Lasagna.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ziti Pasta: Ziti is the classic choice here because its smooth tubular shape holds onto that rich meat sauce. If you don't have ziti in your pantry, penne pasta is a great substitute, but rigatoni or rotini work wonderfully too! Just cook your noodles to al dente so they don't get mushy while baking.
- Ground Italian Sausage: Ground mild Italian sausage gives the sauce a deep, savory flavor. Sweet or spicy Italian sausage are both great options, or you can easily swap in ground beef if that's what you have on hand.
- Tomato Sauce & Diced Tomatoes: These form the base of our simple, homemade meat sauce. If you're running short on time, you can easily substitute two standard jars of your favorite store-bought marinara or spaghetti sauce instead!
- Ricotta Cheese Blend: This creamy mixture of ricotta, grated Parmesan, grated Asiago, and shredded mozzarella is what gives this dish those amazing homemade lasagna vibes. If you don't have Asiago cheese, Romano makes a great substitute. You can also swap in extra Parmesan or omit the Asiago altogether, it will still taste fantastic!
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Baked Ziti
This pasta bake comes together in just a few simple steps. Here is a quick visual overview before you get started!
- Brown the Italian sausage with the diced onions, then stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and seasonings. Let it simmer on low to build flavor.
- In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, Asiago, mozzarella, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Stir the cooked ziti, warm meat sauce, and ricotta cheese mixture together until evenly combined.
- Transfer everything to a 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top.
- Bake at 350°F until hot and bubbly, then broil for 2-3 minutes to lightly brown the cheese. Enjoy!
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
👉 Sky's Tips for Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
- Always cook the pasta al dente: Since the ziti will bake in the oven with the warm sauce, it essentially gets cooked twice. Boiling it just to al dente keeps the noodles perfectly tender instead of turning mushy!
- Don't rush the simmer: Letting that homemade meat sauce simmer on low for at least 20 to 30 minutes is the secret to developing a really rich, deep flavor.
- Broil for a few minutes: Once the pasta is fully baked and bubbly, turn your oven to broil for just a few minutes. It lightly browns the mozzarella on top and gives you those irresistible crispy cheese edges.
- Make-ahead friendly: Just assemble the dish, cover it tightly, and pop it in the fridge. When you're ready for dinner, bake it straight from the refrigerator. Just plan to add an extra 20 to 30 minutes to the original bake time so it gets completely hot and bubbly all the way through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bake assembled ziti at 350°F for 30 minutes until the sauce is hot and bubbling around the edges. If you are baking it straight from the refrigerator as a make-ahead meal, add an extra 20 to 30 minutes so it gets hot all the way through.
Bake it uncovered! Leaving it uncovered allows the mozzarella on top to melt evenly and get slightly golden. If you notice the cheese browning too quickly before the center is piping hot, simply tent a piece of foil loosely over the top.
To Freeze: Assemble the ziti, let it cool completely, and wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
To Reheat: Reheat single portions in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. To reheat a larger dish, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes until heated through.
I hope your family loves this Easy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage as much as mine does! It is pure comfort food made simple from scratch.
-Sky🩷
If you tried this Easy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟star rating and let me know how it went in the comment section below!
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📖 Recipe
Easy Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Equipment
- 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti pasta cooked al dente
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces mild Italian sausage ground
- ½ cup onions small diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 29 ounces tomato sauce or 2 15-ounce cans
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded, for topping
Ricotta Cheese Mixture
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
- ¼ cup asiago cheese grated
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ziti pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground Italian sausage and cook, breaking into crumbles. When halfway cooked, add diced onions and cook until sausage is browned and onions are tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried basil, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For the Ricotta Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, grated Asiago, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth and well blended.
- Remove meat sauce from heat. In a large bowl (or your pot), stir together the cooked ziti, warm meat sauce, and ricotta cheese mixture until fully combined.
- Transfer pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30 minutes until hot and bubbling. Turn oven to broil for 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the melted cheese on top. Garnish with fresh basil if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Shortcuts: Swap the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and spices with 2 standard jars (24 oz each) of your favorite store-bought marinara or spaghetti sauce.
- Make-Ahead: Assemble, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours in advance. Add 20 to 30 extra minutes to the bake time when cooking straight from the fridge.
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