What To Serve With Baked Ziti
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After 5 rounds of testing, we finally found the ideal combination of flavors and effort for our best-ever baked ziti—it’s got rich ricotta and a meaty, tomato-based sauce, thrown together in a dish and baked with your pasta. This classic recipe is a study in duality: It’s got a sophistication to it, giving it a seat at the table of your fanciest dinner parties, while its simplicity also makes it perfect for bringing to a potluck or for a treat-yourself weeknight dinner. Read on for everything you need to know to ace this cheesy, decadent, no-fuss baked pasta recipe:
Begin by preheating your oven so that it will be ready when you are, then, over high heat, cook sweet Italian sausage in a medium saucepan, breaking the sausage into small pieces and stirring frequently. Cook for about 15 minutes until the sausage is golden brown and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage from the saucepan to a plate, being sure to leave the fat in the pan so that the flavor can be absorbed into the onions and garlic.
Drop the burner to medium-high heat and add in the onion, cooking and stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly darkened. This should take about 4 or 5 minutes. Then, add in the garlic and continue cooking for another 1 minute. Season with salt, and add in both the crushed tomatoes and tomato puree and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens. This combination will provide more depth of tomato flavor while also providing textural differences and a thicker sauce that will hold better to the ziti.
At the same time, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add in ziti, following package instructions to cook until al dente. Drain the pasta from the pot and transfer it into a large bowl.
Then, in a medium bowl, combine ricotta, pepper, Parmesan, salt, and garlic until thoroughly mixed together.
At this point your sauce should have finished cooking. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add in the cooked sausage, butter, basil, and 1 ½ teaspoons of salt. Stir the mixture to combine and then combine the sauce and remaining Parmesan in a bowl with the cooked ziti, tossing to combine.
To prepare your ziti for baking, grab a 15”-x-10” baking dish and layer in half of the pasta mixture. Cover this first layer with half of the ricotta mixture and even more Parm, then top this with the remaining pasta and another layer of ricotta. Cover the top of the dish with mozzarella and the rest of the Parm.
Place the baking dish into the pre-heated oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown in spots, and the sauce bubbles around the edges of the baking dish. Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.
While we love this classic version, we've got plenty of baked ziti variations if you're looking to switch things up. Looking for a low-carb version? Our cauliflower baked ziti has all the same cheesy, saucy vibes we can't get enough of. Our Boursin baked ziti is our favorite hack to create a white sauce-based baked ziti, and our vegetarian baked ziti packs in all the veggies.
This baked ziti can be prepared and assembled 1 day in advance. Make sure to wrap and store in the fridge for no longer than 24 hours. Once baked, refrigerate for up to 3 days.
extra-virgin olive oil
sweet Italian ground sausage
small yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 c.)
cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
kosher salt, divided, plus more
(28-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
(28-oz.) can tomato puree
ziti rigate
(16-oz.) container whole-milk ricotta
freshly ground black pepper
finely grated Parmesan, divided
unsalted butter
finely chopped fresh basil
shredded mozzarella
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