Baked Ziti Recipe

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5 from 9 votes

Easy baked ziti made with ground sweet Italian sausage, melted ricotta, and mozzarella cheese.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Shawn Williams

Ingredients

1 pound ziti or penne uncooked
1/2-1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
24 ounces marinara/tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups water see note
1 cup ricotta cheese divided
4-6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese sliced into strips
6-8 basil leaves chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional basil for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Heat butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet, add garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add ground sausage, breaking up with the tip of a spatula into small chunks. Cook until just browned, about 7-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Add marinara, water, chopped basil, and 1/2 cup of ricotta. Stir until fully incorporated.
Mix in uncooked ziti. Be sure the ziti is evenly distributed to the edges of the skillet and fully submerged (use a spatula to pat it down). It's okay if a few are floating on the surface. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the oven and give the entire dish a quick stir/toss to evenly mix sausage and ziti together. Top with mozzarella strips and tablespoon-sized dollops of ricotta.
Return to oven at 500°F or high broil. Bake uncovered for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is fully melted and starting to brown. Note, that the broiler method may only take a few minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

If you only use 1/2 pound of ground sausage or omit the sausage altogether, you only need 1 1/2-2 cups of water as opposed to 2 1/2.

I like to finish this dish using my oven's broiler to give the cheese a golden melted finish. This sears some of the noodles around the edges and makes them a little crispy.

If you don't have ricotta, add 1/3-1/2 cup of heavy cream to the tomato sauce instead of the ricotta. This is a good substitute for the creamy texture.

This recipe works best in a cast iron skillet because they have higher walls. A 12-inch skillet allows you to fit this entire recipe perfectly. If you cut the portions in half, a 9 or 10-inch skillet will work. You can also use a Dutch oven for larger quantities.

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