An easy weeknight classic with layers of delicious pasta, savory sauce and gooey cheeses that will inevitably get added to your weekly dinner rotation!
Easy Weeknight Baked Ziti
An easy weeknight classic with layers of delicious pasta, sauce and gooey cheeses that will be welcome at any dinner table.
Servings 0
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 24 oz. jars your favorite marinara sauce
- Salt and pepper
- 1 – 2 tsps sugar, if desired
- 2 Tbsps Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 – 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound ziti regatta pasta, or any tubular pasta, cooked until al dente, and drained
- 16 oz. ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 egg
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, add a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium high. Add sausage and brown, breaking up the meat while it cooks.
- Once the sausage has browned, add the onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or so until fragrant.
- Add both jars of marinara sauce to the pot. Add a splash of water to each of the jars and swirl around to get any remaining sauce and add it to the pot.
- Season the sauce with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Adjust sauce with a little sugar, if needed.
- Bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cover. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- While the sauce is simmering and the oven is heating, in a medium sized mixing bowl add ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of parmesan, remaining tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one egg.
- When the sauce is done simmering remove from heat, discard bay leaves, and stir in cooked pasta to the sauce.
- In a greased 9″ by 13″ baking dish, add half of the pasta and sauce mixture into an even layer.
- Dollop half of the ricotta mixture into large spoonfuls on top of the pasta mixture. Top with 1 cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan.
- Repeat layers once more by adding remaining half of pasta and sauce mixture, dollop with remaining spoonfuls of ricotta mixture, and lastly the remaining cup of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes. Broil on high for 2 – 3 minutes until top is bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
