Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

It was Italian comfort food night at our house! This is one of our favorite meals. I like to make this one in the morning or the night before a busy evening so that all I have to do is throw it in the oven for 20 minutes and serve with a salad and dinner is done!

Baked Ziti
Ingredients
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 TBSP olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion diced
1 (15oz) can petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 (25oz) jar marinara sauce
1 (15oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt & pepper
16 oz ziti noodles, cooked until 2 minutes LESS than the lowest time on the box
1 cup whole milk ricotta
16 oz mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Directions
Brown Italian sausage in a pot with the onion in 1 Tbsp oil. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute, careful not to burn. Add tomatoes with juice, marinara sauce, tomato sauce, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer on low for 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Taste to adjust seasonings.
Boil pasta until 2 minute less than the shortest time on the instructions. It will continue cooking in the oven and no one likes overcooked pasta!
Mix together the ricotta cheese, half the grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and egg.
Mix the cooked noodles with 1 cup of the meat sauce and all of the ricotta cheese mixture. Stir to combine. In a 13×9 casserole dish, put half of the meat sauce, followed by the noodles/ricotta, then the other half of the meat sauce. Finally, cover with the rest of the shredded mozzarella. Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbling. Enjoy!