Cheesy Baked Ziti
So creamy and cheesy, this is such a great family dinner and makes for great leftovers! @mostdeliciouslife.com
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ziti pasta
- 1 pound Sweet Italian sausage
- 4 tsp minced garlic
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp oregano
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped **or 1Tbsp dried
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
Cheese
- 32 ounce Ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup parmesan, shredded
- 1 cup mozzarella balls, pearl size **OR 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Topping
- 1 cup mozzarella balls **OR 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup parmesan, shredded
- fresh basil, cut or torn
Instructions
- Cook the Ziti pasta al dente. Rinse and set aside.
- In a large skillet or pot brown the sausage and garlic over medium-high heat. Cook until sausage is no longer pink.
- Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Stir in oregano, basil, salt, pepper and sugar.
- Bring to a boil. Turn down to med-low and let simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a bowl mix the ricotta, eggs and parmesan cheese.
- Spread a small amount of the red sauce on the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.
- Cover with about ½ of the pasta.
- Use a spoon to drop dollops of half of the cheese mixture onto the pasta.
- Cover with about ¾ cup of the mozzarella balls.
- Spoon on about ½ of the red sauce and spread evenly over the pasta.
- Repeat layers:remaining pasta / cheese mixture / mozzarella balls (save some for the top)
- Spread the remaining red sauce on top.
- Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
- Uncover and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and mozzarella balls.
- Bake another 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil.