Best Italian Baked Ziti Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook sausage links according to package directions; drain, cut into ¼-inch slices.
• In a large bowl, combine sausage slices, pasta, pasta sauce, water, basil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, pepper and mix well.
• Spoon mixture into a greased 9-in. x 13-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
• Arrange garlic bread slices on top of meat mixture.
• Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
• In a small bowl, dip tomato slices into olive oil.
• Place one slice of tomato on each piece of bread.
• Bake uncovered, at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with basil leaves. Serve.

ITALIAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. , Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, basil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. , Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper., Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta, a third of the meat sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and oregano. , Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until heated through.

THREE-CHEESE BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spray a 4-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick spray. Combine mozzarella and Italian blend cheeses in a bowl and place in the refrigerator.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• At the same time, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and break up into morsels. Sprinkle baking soda onto sausage, then add onion and garlic. Cook and stir, continuing to break up any clumps as it cooks, until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Pour off and discard any grease.
• Add pasta sauce, olives, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, anchovy paste, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add up to 3 tablespoons more oil if desired, and continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring regularly, until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in ziti.
• Spread 1/2 of the sauced ziti into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle 1/2 of the shredded cheese mixture evenly on top. Spoon or ladle the rest of the ziti evenly on top without disturbing the layers underneath; it's okay to have some ziti partially exposed as they will brown handsomely and deliciously as they bake. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese mixture on top and sprinkle Parmesan across the surface.
• Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

BAKED ZITI WITH JOHNSONVILLE ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add sausage, crumble and cook until no longer pink and lightly browned. Drain and transfer into a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile prepare ziti according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, cover and set aside.
• Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and cook until tender and lightly browned. Transfer to bowl with sausage.
• Using the same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté until tender. Pour wine into skillet, increase heat to medium-high and continue to stir until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes. To the bowl with the sausage mixture, add cooked pasta, basil, olives, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Stir to combine ingredients.
• Transfer mixture to a greased 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN BAKED ZITI (AUTHENTIC)

Steps:

• Add tomato sauce,rosemary,oregano,chili peppers,sugar and basil to a pot.
• Bring to boil and simmer one hour. Remove chili peppers.
• Cook pasta to al dente (little chewy). You don't want to overcook it as it cooks in the baking also.
• Remove sausage from casing and cook in 1/2 cup olive oil over medium high till browned.
• Add cooked sausage and all the oil (don't drain)to the tomato sauce and mix.
• Add cooked pasta into a 9x13 baking pan.
• Add the sausage and sauce over top and toss.
• Add parmesan on top and then cover with shredded mozzarella.
• Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 350°F (put toothpicks so cheese doesn't stick).
• Remover foil and continue to bake 10 minutes (watch cheese so it doesn't burn).
• Remove from oven and let set 10 minutes before serving to allow it to set.

BAKED ZITI WITH CRUNCHY ITALIAN SALAD AND GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
• In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
• In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
• In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil; season with salt and pepper. Add endive and arugula, and toss to coat. Serve baked ziti with salad and garlic bread.

ITALIAN RESTAURANT BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook ziti in a large pot of boiling salted water until
• tender but still firm, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Drain and rinse under cold running water;
• drain well.
• In a medium bowl, combine
• ricotta cheese, eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan
• cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix to
• blend well.
• Toss cooked ziti with 2 cups
• marinara sauce.
• Place half the pasta in an
• 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
• Top with ricotta
• mixture and half the mozzarella cubes.
• Top with remaining ziti, marinara sauce,
• mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake until casserole is heated through and cheese is
• bubbly and lightly browned on top, 30 to 35
• minutes.

VEGETARIAN ITALIAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, parsley, 1 teaspoon oregano, and basil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Oil a 9x13-inch baking pan.
• Just before the sauce is finished, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Combine cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of the Parmesan substitute, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix remaining Parmesan substitute and 1/2 teaspoon oregano in another small bowl.
• Spread 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer 1/3 cup ziti, 1 cup sauce, and 1/3 cottage cheese mixture; repeat layers twice more. Top with any remaining sauce, then sprinkle with oregano-Parmesan blend.
• Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven until bubbly, about 1 hour.

BAKED ZITI AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cook the ziti according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.
• Cook the sausage links in oil in a large skillet for 15 minutes or until browned over medium heat; reduce heat if necessary to keep them from burning. Drain well on paper towels. Slice the sausage diagonally and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; add the flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the ziti; stir well, and set aside.
• Combine the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, ricotta (or cottage cheese), egg, parsley, 1 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Stir well.
• Place half of the macaroni mixture in a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Top with the ricotta cheese mixture and half of the sausage. Top with the remaining ziti mixture and sausages. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and paprika.
• Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

5-INGREDIENT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND KALE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large stockpot full of well-salted water for the pasta. 2. In a (separate) large skillet, saute the Italian sausage over medium-high heat until browned (about 8-10 minutes), breaking the sausage up with a spoon into bite-sized pieces while cooking. When the sausage has browned, add in the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 additional minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove pan from heat and set aside. 3. While the sausage is browning, cook the pasta al dente in the stockpot of boiling water according to package instructions. Drain. 4. Return pasta to the stockpot and add the sausage, garlic and kale. Gently toss to combine until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted. 5. Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. 6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.

BAKED ZITI WITH EASY HOMEMADE ITALIAN GRAVY

Steps:

• Gravy (2 hours before dinner or as early as a few days before) in a medium bowl mix together . . . ground beef, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1/2 tsp dried basil, 1 clove garlic minced, 2 TBS Italian Flavored Bread Crumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix with fork until evenly blended. Brown meat mixture in olive oil in a 5 qt sauce pan. When cooked almost through remove.
• Drain pan. Add 1 lb sausage. Brown well on all sides. Remove.
• Drain pan well. Saute 1/2 lb sliced slice fresh mushroom until slightly brown.
• Return sausage links and ground meat mixture to sauce pan. Add tomatoes, puree, 1 tsp parsley, 1 TBS basil, 1 clove minced garlic. Simmer 1 hour. Remove sausage, slice (1/4 ") return to pot. continue to simmer until ready to use.
• NEXT. Fill large pot with 5 quarts cold water. Bring to boil. Cook ziti according to package directions (al dente).
• While ziti is cooking mix together ricotta, 3/4 lb mozzarella, Romano and black pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Drain ziti well. Place in 9X12 baking dish. Add cheese mixture blend well.
• With slotted spoon, remove 2-3 cups meat and mushrooms from gravy. Add to ziti. Add 1 cup extra sauce. Mix well. Top with remaining mozzarella. Cover. Bake 30 minutes. remove cover and baked another 5-10 minutes, until cheese melts and gets bubbly. You do not want it to brown.
• Also works well with medium sized shells.
• 1 cup sliced black olives may be added to recipe or substituted for mushrooms.

BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole dish.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/4 cup of the oil.
• Add the eggplant in batches, seasoning on both sides with salt and pepper, and cook until golden, adding more oil as needed.
• Transfer to a plate when each batch is done.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot but not smoking, add the onion and sausage.
• Cook, stirring until the sausage is browned and the onion is soft about 6 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown.
• Add the tomatoes, their juices, the Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the crushed red pepper.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer, uncovered, until the flavors marry and the sauce slightly thickens, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat. Add the basil and adjust seasoning, to taste.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and forms a light roux, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the milk and, whisking frequently, cook until the sauce is thickened and smooth, about 4 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and season with the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
• Arrange half of the eggplant slices on the bottom of the casserole, overlapping as necessary.
• Top with half of the cooked pasta; then half of the sausage-tomato sauce.
• Place another layer of eggplant slices on top of the sauce.
• Then layers of pasta and sausage-tomato sauce.
• Pour on the white sauce.
• Then top with the grated mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook ziti according to pkg directions, drain. In skillet, heat oil. Then add and cook sausage 10 minutes. brown on all sides. Remove.
• Sauce: In saucepan melt butter, remove from heat, add and stir flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Then when smooth, bring to a boil over moderate high heat, stir constantly. Remove from heat when thickened and add 1/4 c. parmesan.
• Put drained ziti in bowl and pour on cheese sauce and toss. Cut sausage diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices, set aside.
• Make cheese layer. Mix cottage cheese with 1/4 c parmesan, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper. mix well. Spoon 1/2 ziti macaroni-cheese-sauce mixture into 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.
• Spread cottage-cheese mixture on top, and then spoon on remaining macaroni mixture. Arrange sliced sausage on top, tuck the slices partly under the macaroni. Sprinkle top with grated mozzarella and paprika.
• Bake 30 - 35 minutes until cheese is melted and macaroni mixture is hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes to set before serving. Makes 6 servings.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Brown the meat and the onion and drain fat.
• Return the meat and onion back to the pan and add the spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Layer ingredients in a square baking dish.
• 1 cup of the sauce mixture on the bottom, then half of the pasta, provolone cheese slices, ricotta cheese spread over the provolone cheese.
• Then add half of the remaining sauce mixture, the remaining pasta, mozzarella cheese, the remaining sauce, and then top with parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes and you may want to bake it on a cookie sheet to prevent splatters in your oven.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE BAKED ZITI RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time. Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove from skillet; set aside. Cook mushrooms and onion in drippings 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. In large bowl, stir together cooked pasta, sausage, mushroom mixture and pasta sauce. Spoon half of mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon remaining pasta mixture over cheese. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese slices. Bake uncovered 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is browned and melted. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer.

5-INGREDIENT ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND KALE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large stockpot full of well-salted water for the pasta.
• In a (separate) large skillet, saute the Italian sausage over medium-high heat until browned (about 8-10 minutes), breaking the sausage up with a spoon into bite-sized pieces while cooking. When the sausage has browned, add in the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 additional minutes or until the garlic is fragrant. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
• While the sausage is browning, cook the pasta al dente in the stockpot of boiling water according to package instructions. Drain.
• Return pasta to the stockpot and add the sausage, garlic and kale. Gently toss to combine until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted.
• Pour half of the pasta into a greased 11x7-inch or 9x13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of cheese. Layer the remaining half of the pasta evenly on top. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and just barely starts to turn golden. Remove and serve immediately, sprinkled with additional toppings if desired.

BAKED ZITI WITH HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE & FRESH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook ziti until it is al dente (so that when you bake it in the oven it will cook the rest of the way). Rinse in cold water, drain and pour into a 7"x11" glass baking dish.
• Meanwhile, begin cooking sausage.
• Puree San Marzano tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes and salt in a blender until smooth.
• When sausage is done, remove from pan and add 1/2 cup wine to reserved drippings from sausage and bring to a simmer scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan and stirring with wine. While wine is simmering, slice sausage at a slight diagonal about 1/2" thick.
• Add pureed sauce and sliced sausage to wine and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile thinly slice and chop the fresh mozarella balls (some people recommend freezing for a 5 minutes or so to help with slicing, but I never do).
• When sauce is done simmering, pour everything over pasta. Sprinkle 1 cup of the fresh mozzarella throughout (fresh makes all the difference!) and sprinkle the rest on top. Top with a few shakes of crushed red pepper.
• Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until you see it getting a little bubbly. You can even cook it longer it you want it to get a little crisp on top, not too crisp as it will get dry.
• Serve with a bottle of wine and some nice Italian music.

ITALIAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• 1. Boil the Ziti till Al Dente, drain, set aside in a bowl.
• 2. Fry Italian Sausage in a non-stick fring pan over medium heat, add sliced onions and mushrooms, stir repeatidly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
• 3. In a large Roaster, combine all ingredients together,when emptying the Spagetti Sauce, add a little bit of water to one of them and dump it into each other back and forth a couple of times to get the remaining sauce in the bottom of the jars and pour it into the mixture, mixing with a large spoon. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese on top of the ziti once all mixed together. Put into a pre-heated oven of 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs to allow for the cheese to melt and bind everything together. Remove from oven and serve with Garlic Bread and salad, Delicious!!