For Sunday suppers, team dinners, or dinner drop-offs for a friend in need, this crowd-pleasing baked ziti with sausage is hearty, rich, and flavorful. Perfectly baked pasta absorbs flavor from the tangy tomato sauce, contrasting beautifully with the creamy ricotta mixture. This budget-friendly meal tastes like you spent all day making it! Serve alongside crusty bread, an Italian salad, and a glass of red wine.
Ingredients
- kosher salt: 1 Tbsp
- ziti pasta: 1 pack (16 ounce pack)
- ground Italian sausage: 0.75 pound
- ground sirloin: 0.75 pound
- onion: 1 piece (chopped)
- garlic: 2 clove (minced)
- kosher salt: 1 tsp (divided)
- ground pepper: 0.75 tsp (divided)
- red pepper flakes: 0.25 tsp (crushed)
- jars marinara sauce: 2 piece (24 ounce)
- water: 0.5 cup
- whole milk ricotta cheese: 1 container (15 ounce container)
- Parmesan cheese: 0.75 cup (divided, grated)
- egg: 1 piece
- fresh Italian parsley: 1 Tbsp (chopped)
- fresh basil: 1 Tbsp (chopped)
- ½ (8 ounce) packages mozzarella cheese: 1 piece (shredded)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt to the boiling water and stir in pasta. Cook until just about tender to the bite, about 8 minutes (or 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions).
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At the same time, heat a large, deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and beef and cook, crumbling with the back of a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and pepper flakes; cook until onion is translucent and softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Drain pasta and return to the pot. Add about 1/2 cup marinara; toss to coat and let sit until needed.
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Add remaining marinara sauce to the browned meat mixture. Pour 1/4 cup water into each jar, shake to release any leftover sauce in the jar, and pour into the skillet. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
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Stir ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, basil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper together in a bowl.
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Add 2 cups meat sauce to the pasta; toss to coat.
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Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add ½ of the pasta mixture and top with 2 cups meat sauce. Lightly dollop and spread ricotta mixture over the top and sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add remaining pasta mixture, remaining meat sauce, and remaining mozzarella on top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
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Bake in the preheated oven until golden and bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
