Baked Ziti – Spend With Pennies

Baked ziti is tacky, saucy, and baked till bubbly, for the type of cozy dinner that at all times disappears quick. With layers of ziti, creamy ricotta, and hearty sausage sauce, it’s a straightforward pasta bake that’s excellent for weeknights, potlucks, and make-ahead dinners.

Taste: Savory Italian sausage, tangy tomato, and creamy ricotta soften along with mozzarella for a wealthy, comforting dish.
Why Make It: That is an easy-to-make-ahead casserole that serves 8 with a thick and hearty sausage sauce.
Serving Recommendations: This baked ziti has shortly turn into my go-to for feeding teenagers and home visitors, particularly paired with garlic bread and a Caesar or Italian salad.

diced tomatoes , italian sausage , pasta sauce , onion , italian seasoning , ziti pasta , parsley , parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese , egg , ricotta cheese with labels to make Baked Ziti

Greatest Components for Baked Ziti

Meat: Select delicate or scorching sausage. This may be changed with floor beef or floor turkey. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the meat.
Pasta Sauce: Select your favourite pasta sauce, as it’s the important taste of the dish.
Pasta: I exploit ziti on this recipe; nevertheless, penne, rigatoni, or different tube-shaped pasta can be utilized in place.
Cheese: Ricotta provides a creamy layer to this recipe. You may change it by mixing cottage cheese with an egg till easy.
Topping: Sprinkle mozzarella cheese excessive for a browned, bubbly topping. Simply earlier than serving, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a few recent herbs like parsley or basil.
Variations: Add chopped spinach to the ricotta combination (squeezed dry). Stir sautéed mushrooms or diced zucchini into the sauce for further veggies.

baked ziti casserole ready to go in the oven

The best way to Make Baked Ziti

Put together the sausage sauce and the cheese combination in separate bowls (full recipe beneath).
In a big pot, cook dinner the pasta al dente.
Layer the sauce, pasta, and cheese in a greased dish.
Prime with mozzarella and bake.

For cleaner slices, let baked ziti relaxation 10 to fifteen minutes earlier than slicing and serving.

Cook dinner the pasta al dente, or 1 to 2 minutes beneath “accomplished”, so it doesn’t get mushy within the oven.
Drain the sausage nicely. An excessive amount of grease could make the casserole really feel heavy.
Simmer the sauce uncovered till it’s thick sufficient to coat the again of a spoon, because the tomatoes launch further liquid.
If the highest browns sooner than you want, loosely cowl with foil for the final 10 minutes.
For freezing an entire dish, line the pan with foil, assemble, freeze stable, then raise out and wrap. Slide again into the pan for baking later.

Fridge, Freezer, Reheat

Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Baked or unbaked ziti will maintain within the freezer for as much as 3 months.

To reheat, cowl with foil and heat at 350°F till scorching all through. Add a splash of water or sauce if it seems to be dry. To reheat single parts, microwave in brief bursts, loosely coated, stirring as soon as if doable.

Italian Consolation Classics

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook dinner Time 50 minutes

Whole Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
In a big skillet, over medium-high warmth, brown the sausage and onion, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain any fats.
Add the pasta sauce, tomatoes, water, and Italian seasoning. Simmer uncovered for 12 minutes or till thickened, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper to style.
In the meantime, boil ziti in a big pot of salted water till al dente. Drain nicely.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parsley, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Add 1 cup of sauce to the underside of the ready baking pan. Layer half of the ziti, high with all the ricotta combination, and half of the sauce.
Add remaining ziti, remaining sauce, and high with remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake uncovered for 25-Half-hour or till golden and bubbly.

If changing the sausage with floor beef or turkey, add 2 cloves of garlic and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the meat because it cooks.
½ teaspoon crimson pepper flakes may be added to the sauce for somewhat kick in the event you’d like
To Put together Forward of Time: Put together as directed, storing the 1 cup of cheese for the topping in a separate container. Refrigerate, tightly coated, for as much as 48 hours or freeze for as much as 4 months. If frozen, thaw within the fridge in a single day.
Take away from the fridge not less than Half-hour earlier than baking. Bake for 25 minutes, add the cheese, and bake for a further 20 to 25 minutes or till scorching and bubbly.
Hold leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for 4 days and within the freezer for two months.

Diet info supplied is an estimate and can differ primarily based on cooking strategies and types of components used.

Course Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Most important Course, Pasta

Delicacies Italian

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