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Baked Ziti with Sausage

Delicious pasta dish that has become a staple at our house.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 8 servings
Calories 766 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ziti
  • 1 1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 24-28 ounces crushed tomatoes, or marinara sauce (see notes)
  • 4 ounces tomato paste
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup Parmigiana Reggiano, grated, divided
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 2 cups whole milk mozzarella, shredded, divided

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, boil water for ziti and cook 9 minutes. Drain ziti and return to large pot. Set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • In a large sauté pan, brown sausage, breaking into small bites. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Remove sausage from pan reserving fat.
  • Sauté garlic in sausage fat for 1 minute. Add tomatoes (marinara), tomato paste and salt. Simmer 10 minutes.
  • Add cream, 1/3 cup of parmigiana, 1/3 cup chopped basil and sausage to pan. Stir until combined. Pour sauce over ziti in large pot and stir to combine.
  • Spoon half of pasta mixure into a prepared 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup parmagiana and one cup mozzarella. Add remaining pasta and top with remaining cheeses.
  • Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped basil before serving.
  • To make ahead, or freeze. Wrap dish in aluminum foil before baking and refrigerate up to one day or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen ziti in refrigerator overnight. Remove dish from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake with FOIL ON for 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove foil and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

Notes

  • I love this dish with about 3 cups of my Marinara Sauce, but a 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes will also work. You may want to add more seasonings if using just the canned tomatoes.
  • I like a mix of sweet and hot Italian sausage. If you can find fresh chicken sausage, it's less fat than pork, but just as flavorful.
  • As with any baked pasta dish, whole milk mozzarella melts much better than low-moisture skim. 
  • If you can't find Parmigiana Reggiano, substitute pecorino or asiago. I never use any cheese labeled Parmesan.  Parmesan cheese is NOT Parmigiana Reggiano.  Parmesan is a generic term for a cheese that  contains cellulose, or wood pulp!