Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
This baked ziti with sausage is a family favorite. The Italian sausage adds so much flavor that we can keep the rest of the ingredients simple. We use jarred pasta sauce and canned tomatoes but add fresh onions and garlic for a homemade taste. And of course, there's plenty of cheese!
What's great about this recipe
- Family-Friendly: This baked ziti with sausage is a hearty, satisfying meal that both kids and adults will love. It’s a hit for family dinners!
- Budget-Friendly: Using affordable ingredients like pasta, canned tomatoes, and sausage, this dish is easy on the wallet and perfect for feeding the family without breaking the bank.
- Easy to Make: The steps are straightforward, and the ingredients are simple, making this recipe a great choice even for beginner cooks.
- Feeds a Crowd: It’s perfect for gatherings. Pair it with a salad, some garlic bread, and you’ve got a meal that can feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil: We use olive oil, but any oil suitable for sautéing will work.
- Aromatics: Onions and garlic add extra flavor and give the sauce that homemade taste.
- Italian Sausage: We use mild Italian sausage links with the casings removed and torn into pieces. You can also use bulk sausage. If you like it spicy, use hot Italian sausage.
- Tomatoes: Use canned diced tomatoes, regular or fire roasted. You can also use canned whole tomatoes and chop them up with kitchen shears.
- Pasta Sauce: Use your favorite brand, but make it a meatless variety so nothing is competing with the sausage.
- Pasta: Ziti, or other tube pasta will work in a pinch.
- Salt: For the pasta water, we use kosher salt.
- Cheese: Mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Garnish and Serving: Chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, and crushed red pepper for a little zing, if desired.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
How to make baked ziti with sausage
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot or deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the sausage to the pot and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the sausage is browned, stirring frequently and breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce to the pot and stir well. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low, and cover. Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Keep it at a simmer; if it starts boiling too vigorously, lower the heat.
- While the sauce cooks, preheat the oven to 350°F and cook the ziti according to package directions for al dente. Then, drain well. Combine the ziti and sauce in the larger of the two pots, stirring gently to mix well.
- Spoon half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining cheese.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with extra parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Make ahead, storing, and reheating instructions
Make-ahead: You can prepare the baked ziti ahead of time. Follow the recipe instructions up to the point of baking. Instead of baking, cover the assembled dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and cover the dish with foil. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake covered for 25-30 minutes to warm through. Then, uncover and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Ensure the internal temperature is at least 165°F.
Storing refrigerator: Allow the baked ziti to cool to room temperature. Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Storing freezer: If you plan to freeze the baked ziti, let it cool completely. For best results, divide into smaller portions and transfer to freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating:
- From the refrigerator: Place the ziti in an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.
- From frozen: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed above.
- Microwave (for smaller portions): Place a portion of ziti in a microwave-safe dish. Cover loosely (vented). Heat on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stir, then continue heating in 1-minute intervals until heated through.
- Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visitU.S. Department of Agricultureandfoodsafety.gov.
Recipe tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta; cook it only to al dente. It will continue cooking once it’s drained and added to the hot sauce. Overcooked ziti will get mushy.
- Break up the Italian sausage before cooking it, if not using bulk sausage. Large pieces will be difficult to break up once they hit the hot pan.
- All sausage is different; some may be fattier than others. If the sausage renders too much grease, drain some. To do this, take the pot off the heat, mound the sausage to one side, and gently tip the pot so the excess oil pools on the other side. Use a ladle or large spoon to scoop some out.
- Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining. You can use it to loosen the sauce if it’s too thick or to prevent the pasta from sticking. Add a little at a time while stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Keep the sauce at a simmer after it’s covered. Lower the heat if it’s boiling too vigorously, especially after the sauce starts to thicken. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking and burning on the bottom. Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills if it bubbles over.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you'll love our other hearty, family-approved dishes. Check out our old fashioned tuna noodle casserole, a comforting classic. Try our baked spaghetti for another easy and delicious option. For a fun twist, make our pizza pasta. And don’t miss our Italian sausage spaghetti, which is sure to be a hit! These recipes are just as simple and delicious.
Subscribe
Join our Newsletter for the latest recipes and more right in your inbox.
đź“– Recipe
Baked Ziti with Sausage
Elizabeth Rodriguez
This baked ziti with sausage is a family favorite. The Italian sausage adds so much flavor that we can keep the rest of the ingredients simple.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 577 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Onion finely diced
- 3-5 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 pound Mild Italian Sausage casings removed and torn into pieces or use bulk sausage
- 1 28 ounce Can Diced Tomatoes we used fire roasted tomatoes (you can also use canned whole tomatoes, chopped them using kitchen shears to make quick work of it)
- 1 24 ounce Jar Pasta Sauce (use your favorite brand and meatless variety)
- 1 pound Ziti cooked to package directions for al-dente
- 1 tablespoon Salt for the pasta water – we use kosher salt
- 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese plus extra for serving
- Chopped Parsley for garnish, optional
- Crushed Red Pepper for serving, optional
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot or large, deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add the sausage to the pot; raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the meat is browned, stirring frequently and breaking any large pieces with a wooden spoon or a spatula.
Add the tomatoes and pasta sauce the pot, stir well.
Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the sauce for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the sauce at a simmer. Lower the heat if it’s boiling too vigorously.
Preheat oven to 350°F
While the sauce cooks, start the pasta.
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta. Cook the ziti to package directions for al-dente.
Drain the pasta well and set aside. (If desired, reserve about a cup of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.)
Build the ziti and sausage casserole
Combine the ziti and the sauce in the larger of the two pots. Stir gently.
Use a large, oven proof casserole dish or baking pan (9x13).
Spoon about half of the ziti pasta mixture into the casserole dish.
Sprinkle the top with half the mozzarella cheese and half the parmesan cheese.
Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Place the casserole dish on a rimmed baking sheet, just in case it bubbles over. Bake the pasta for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve with extra parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper, if desired.
Notes
If you feel that the sausage has rendered too much grease, drain some if desired. An easy way to do this is to take the pot off the heat, just slide it over to an empty burner. Mound the sausage to one side of the pot and gently tip it so that the excess oil pools on the other side of the sausage. Use a ladle or a large spoon to scoop out some of the excess oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 26gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 2121mgPotassium: 767mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 728IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 267mgIron: 3mg
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
