Darby's Daily Balance
Baked Ziti
a crowd-pleasing baked ziti perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients
- 28 oz peeled whole tomatoes, diced (peeled whole tomatoes, diced in a can)
- 24 oz favorite marinara sauce
- 3 tbsp Italian seasoning mix
- 1 lb ziti pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz ricotta
- 1 cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano
- fresh basil
- Hot Italian Sausage
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
Method
- 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 2
Start by boiling 6 quarts of salted water.
- 3
Add sausage to a large skillet over medium heat and brown.
- 4
Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 5
Pour in marinara, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning and stir.
- 6
Reduce heat and simmer sauce.
- 7
Add ziti to boiling water and cook Al dente.
- 8
Add 1 scoop of pasta sauce to cooked pasta until pasta is thinly coated.
- 9
Cover bottom of baking dish with a thin layer of sauce.
- 10
Add 1/2 pasta mixture, 1/2 sauce, 1/2 mozzarella, and 1/2 ricotta.
- 11
Repeat with second half of ingredients and top with Parmesan.
- 12
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
- 13
Remove from oven and let cool for 3 minutes.
- 14
Add fresh basil, serve, and enjoy!
- 15
ziti can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months.