Baked Sausage Ziti
This is the creamiest Baked Sausage Ziti you'll ever have! It's an easy dish that will feed the whole family. Make it ahead of time and bake before serving.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ziti pasta, uncooked
- 1.5 lbs. Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 24 oz. jarred spaghetti sauce
- 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 oz. Galbani mozzarella cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch dish. Cook pasta al dente, according to the package directions; set aside. In a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat, brown the sausage; transfer to a plate.
- Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic; saute until onions are softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, and cream cheese; mix until cheese has melted. Add the sausage and cooked pasta.
- Layer half of the pasta mixture on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread with the sour cream. Top with 6 oz. mozzarella and ½ cup Parmigiano. Layer with the other half of the pasta. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmigiano.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese melts evenly. Garnish with fresh chopped basil.
Notes
- To make ahead: Assemble and refrigerate up to 2 days in advance. Baking it from the refrigerator will increase the baking time. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and cover dish with foil. Bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes or until heated through.
- To freeze: Assemble dish as directed above, do NOT bake, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Avoid putting aluminum foil directly on top of the ziti because it can absorb a foil taste. Technically it can be frozen for up to 3 months but I recommend only up to 1 month. Defrost in refrigerator overnight or 24 hours before baking.