Baked Ziti with Sausage is an easy-to-make comfort food favorite for the whole family will enjoy. Similar to a lasagna without all the fuss, layers of melty cheese, tomato sauce, savory sausage, and cooked pasta come together bringing satisfaction with every bite.
This sausage baked ziti recipe is made without ricotta cheese and uses chicken sausage to make a healthier version without skimping on the flavor. This quick casserole favorite is sure to be a winner at your dinner table!
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❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
✔️Sausage Baked Ziti is at least half the calories than a restaurant recipe and tastes even better!
✔️Quick and easy to prepare baked ziti is always a satisfying favorite!
✔️This easy baked ziti recipe will fill you up without breaking the bank!
🥘 Ingredients
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Italian style chicken sausage links, the nutrition information will vary depending on the sausages you used. This is the brand of chicken sausage I used when making this recipe and was what I used in calculating the nutritional information for this particular version.
Yellow onion , diced
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat and cook pasta until a just before al dente.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sausage and cook for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, or until lightly browned.
- Stir in the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in the tomato puree, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the meat sauce, tossing to coat.
- Remove the pasta mixture from the heat and stir in the basil and mozzarella. Transfer to a 12x9 baking dish and sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until the top is crusty and browned. Garnish with more basil if desired.
🙋 Recipe FAQ's
Baked ziti is an Italian-American classic pasta bake traditionally layered with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta mixture, tomato sauce, and layers of mozzarella cheese.
Yes, just remember, the type and brand of sausage can change the nutritional information.
Covering baked pasta dishes for the beginning of the bake helps to prevent moisture loss.
💭 Tips
- Make sure to cook the ziti pasta just under al dente to avoid a mushy pasta after baked.
- Drain your pasta well to prevent a soupy sauce and do not rinse the pasta after cooked. Rinsing the pasta will wash off the starch which aids in the sauce sticking to the pasta.
- To reheat the sausage baked ziti, cover the dish loosely with foil and place it in the oven at 350 F for 15 minutes.
📖 Variations
- Substitute extra lean ground beef or ground turkey for the chicken sausage.
- For a meatless baked ziti substitute the chicken sausage for a plant-based version.
- Turn up the heat by using Italian hot sausage and/or add red pepper flakes.
- Make your own homemade pasta sauce to use in place of the tomato sauce.
- Stir 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning into the sauce
🍽 Equipment
🏫 What I've Learned
Making this baked ziti with sausage at home is healthier more cost-effective. You reduce the calories by at least half when making your own sausage baked ziti at home rather than eating out at a restaurant.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this delicious Sausage Baked Ziti with a glass of chianti, garlic bread, and a Caprese salad.
Storage
Store the baked ziti in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw frozen sausage baked ziti in the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating.
Related Recipes
One Pot Alfredo with Peas and Bacon
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms - low carb recipe
Puttanesca Sauce with Rigatoni Pasta
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces dried ziti pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Italian style chicken sausage links , cut into slices
- ½ medium yellow onion , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 29 ounces tomato puree
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup fresh basil , chopped
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until a just before al dente.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sausage and cook for about 2 minutes stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, or until lightly browned.
- Stir in the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the tomato puree, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add to the meat sauce, tossing to coat.
- Remove the pasta mixture from the heat and stir in the basil and mozzarella. Transfer to a 12x9 baking dish and sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until the top is crusty and browned.
- Garnish with more basil if desired.
Amateur Cook
Yep I think this would pass the taste test in our house too, with our kids as the picky judges. ツ
Pegasuslegend
Looks delicious! Good luck and welcome to to FBR!!! It won't show up right away give it a few days... 🙂 going to click on it!
Muslim Housewife
Haha 'blog people' what a guy. Looks absolutely delish by the way!
Coleens Recipes
Mouthwatering photo!!
Rachel
Awesome dish. I love all the ingredients. And yes, we should meet up soon. Maybe an Asian market adventure? Thanks for sharing this with Presto Pasta Nights this week.
Denise Rose
Sounds good! Do you add the basil leaves whole or chop them a little?
Ruth Daniels
I'm with Jeff. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
Jeff @ Cheeseburger
Well, we "blog people" think that it did passed the "Grumpy Test". (ha ha)
Kathleen
Looks amazing! Bookmarking it right now 😉