**Three-Cheese Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage: A Symphony of Flavors**
Three-cheese baked ziti with Italian sausage is a classic Italian-American dish that combines the rich flavors of pasta, cheese, sausage, and tomato sauce. This hearty and comforting casserole is perfect for a family dinner or a special occasion. The combination of three types of cheese - mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta - creates a gooey, flavorful filling that pairs perfectly with the savory Italian sausage and tangy tomato sauce. The ziti pasta provides a sturdy base for the dish, and the combination of all the ingredients creates a delicious and satisfying meal. Along with the classic three-cheese baked ziti recipe, this article also includes a vegetarian version made with spinach and artichoke, a creamy sun-dried tomato version, and a spicy version with jalapeños and chorizo. With so many options to choose from, there's a three-cheese baked ziti recipe for everyone to enjoy.
BAKED ZITI AND SAUSAGE
This is my husband's favorite casserole, and he requests it often. He loves the combination of zesty Italian meat and three types of cheese, which together create a scrumptious baked ziti with sausage.-Christina Ingalls, Manhattan, Kansas
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Dinner
Time 55m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; place in a large bowl. In a small skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and cut into 1/2-in. slices., In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Pour over pasta; toss to coat., In a small bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese, parsley, and remaining Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Spoon half of the pasta mixture into a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with cottage cheese mixture. Add sausage to the remaining pasta mixture; spoon over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and paprika. , Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°.
Nutrition Facts :
BAKED ZITI WITH SAUSAGE
This is quite possibly the one thing that I am constantly asked to make. This is a ziti with a lot of flavor.
Provided by Ashley
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
- While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, and cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.
- Stir together the ricotta, egg, onion, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in the drained pasta, the drained sausage, salt, pepper, and 1/2 jar of the spaghetti sauce; mix well.
- In the prepared baking dish, cover the bottom with 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce. Layer 1/2 of the pasta mixture, 1/3 jar of spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Then layer the remaining 1/2 of the pasta, 1/3 of the sauce, and 1/2 of the cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 649.4 calories, Carbohydrate 68.9 g, Cholesterol 85.5 mg, Fat 27.4 g, Fiber 5.9 g, Protein 30.7 g, SaturatedFat 12.3 g, Sodium 1485.1 mg, Sugar 14.9 g
BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Any dinner table benefits from the addition of this great Italian flavor!
Provided by Food Network
Time 30m
Yield 4-6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
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.
THREE CHEESE AND SPICY SAUSAGE BAKED PASTA
Provided by Food Network
Time 55m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of the tomatoes and 1 cup water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, add the basil sprigs and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard basil and stir in the chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
- While the sauce simmers, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Cook the rigatoni in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions instruct. Drain the pasta and add it to the large bowl.
- Add the tomato sauce and half each of the mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheeses to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta-sausage mixture to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella, provolone and Parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta rest about 10 minutes before serving.
- Copyright 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.
THREE-CHEESE BAKED ZITI WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE
This version of baked ziti omits the usual ricotta cheese (or its substitutes) and adds Italian sausage, with very satisfying results!
Provided by Doug in Manhattan
Time 1h25m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 17
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 480.3 calories, Carbohydrate 47.3 g, Cholesterol 44 mg, Fat 22.6 g, Fiber 4.7 g, Protein 21.4 g, SaturatedFat 9.1 g, Sodium 1144.9 mg, Sugar 11.3 g
OVEN-BAKED ZITI WITH THREE CHEESES
Provided by Marie T. Mora
Categories Cheese Pasta Tomato Bake Vegetarian Kid-Friendly Quick & Easy Fall Bon Appétit New Mexico Small Plates
Yield Serves 6
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, water, oregano and sage. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Butter 9x13-inch glass baking dish. In medium bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg. Reserve 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese for topping. Add remaining mozzarella to ricotta cheese mixture and blend. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spread 1/4 of tomato sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Layer 1/3 of pasta over. Drop half of ricotta cheese mixture over by spoonfuls. Spread 1/4 of sauce over. Repeat layering with another 1/3 of pasta, remaining cheese mixture, 1/4 of sauce and remaining pasta. Spread remaining sauce over and sprinkle with reserved mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Cover casserole and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients for the best flavor. Freshly grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, sweet Italian sausage, and a flavorful tomato sauce will make all the difference.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Al dente pasta is the perfect texture for baked ziti.
- Layer the ingredients in the baking dish carefully. Start with a layer of sauce, then pasta, then cheese, and repeat. This will help ensure that the ziti is evenly cooked and cheesy.
- Bake the ziti until it is bubbly and golden brown. The cheese should be melted and slightly browned.
- Let the ziti cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help it set and make it easier to slice.
Conclusion:
Three-cheese baked ziti with Italian sausage is a delicious and comforting dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With a few simple tips, you can make a baked ziti that is sure to impress your family and friends.
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