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If you love pasta bakes, then you are going to love this recipe. It is the Best Baked Ziti you can make with only a handful of ingredients to create this pasta baked in meat sauce and plenty of cheese.
You can never go wrong with ziti noodles smothered in a layer of meat sauce and melted cheese on top of the pasta.
Serve this for dinner tonight with your favorite side dishes like garlic bread or a simple side salad.
Ingredients for the Best Baked Ziti:
- Protein: use your favorite brand and spiciness of ground Italian sausage
- Onion: you will need to dice a yellow onion or white onion
- Pasta: obviously you will use ziti pasta since it is called baked ziti, but you can use any type of pasta cooked to al dente
- Sauce: grab a jar of your favorite store-bought sauce
- Cooking liquid: adding a little bit of water give you the perfect texture for the sauce
- Cheese: top this delicious casserole recipe with shredded mozzarella cheese for the best results
How to make the Best Baked Ziti:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To a large pan on the stove over medium heat add the sausage and onion break the sausage up and cook it through.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove then add in the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions drain and set to the side.
Remove any excess grease in the pan from the cooked sausage add in the pasta sauce, and water stir well. Stir in the cooked drained pasta.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the casserole in.
Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake for 35 minutes.
How to store leftovers from this pasta dish:
Fridge: Place a sheet of aluminum foil over top of the baking dish or the lid that comes with it and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Before baking the dish after assembling the ziti into a freezer safe dish, put foil over top and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips and tricks for making this easy baked ziti recipe:
Ground meat to use:
I really enjoy this recipe with either ground sweet Italian sausage or mild sausage. However, you could use ground turkey, lean ground beef, or a combination of ground beef and ground sausage it you want!
Types of cheese to use:
Feel free to add a creamy ricotta cheese or cottage cheese layer into the layers of pasta. Then top the pasta with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese if you want even more flavor added.
Pasta shape that works best:
- Ziti
- Fusilli
- Bowtie
- Penne
Toppings for this great recipe:
Serve this dish as is or top it with some fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and some freshly grated parmesan cheese and you will be in heaven.
More pasta recipes:
- One Pot Sausage Pasta
- One Pot Skillet Lasagna
- Sheet Pan Sausage Tortellini
- Slow Cooker Chicken Spaghetti
The Best Baked Ziti
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 10 oz ziti pasta or any pasta
- 24 oz pasta sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- To a large pan on the stove over medium heat add the sausage and onion break the sausage up and cook it through.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove then add in the pasta and cook it according to the package instructions drain and set to the side.
- Remove any excess grease in the pan from the cooked sausage add in the pasta sauce, and water stir well. Stir in the cooked drained pasta.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Add the casserole in. Sprinkle the mozzarella on top and bake for 35 minutes.
Quick links for making dinner easy:
- Family meal plans
- Tools for the kitchen and more
- The best cookbook for family dinner recipes
- FREE budget meal plan
- Cooking videos to watch
If you give these recipes a try, make sure to tag us on Instagram @julia.pacheco.cooking and let us know how much you liked the recipes!