Baked Ziti with Sausage

Description

This is quite possibly the one thing that I am constantly asked to make. This is a ziti with a lot of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage
  • 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 large yellow onion, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided
  • 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (Optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in ziti and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered
  3. stirring occasionally
  4. until cooked through but still firm to the bite
  5. about 8 minutes. Drain well.
  6. While pasta is cooking
  7. heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir until brown
  8. about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.
  9. Stir together ricotta
  10. onion
  11. egg
  12. garlic
  13. and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in pasta
  14. sausage
  15. salt
  16. pepper
  17. and the half jar of spaghetti sauce; mix well.
  18. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1/3 of the full jar spaghetti sauce. Layer with 1/2 of the pasta mixture
  19. 1/2 of the remaining spaghetti sauce
  20. and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers once more using remaining pasta
  21. sauce
  22. and cheese. Sprinkle basil over top and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
  23. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through
  24. about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted
  25. 5 to 10 more minutes.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 1 hr

Servings: 8

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