Go Back
+ servings
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe (Dinner for Two)
Print

Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

This easy baked ziti recipe is a fabulous no-stress, no-fail dinner recipe that tastes great, looks beautiful, and couldn't be simpler to throw together.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Calories 494kcal
Author Tracy

Ingredients

Special Equipment

  • Large oven-safe skillet with a lid

Baked Ziti

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 ounces (about 2⅔ cups) uncooked ziti penne, or rigatoni
  • 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot, casings removed
  • 6 cloves garlic pressed or minced
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 2 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper
  • cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup (2oz) shredded Parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • cup (6oz) shredded mozzarella

Instructions

Start Pasta

  • Preheat oven to 475°F.
  • Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook ziti according to package instructions until just barely al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta as it will become too soft after baking. Drain and set aside.

Sauce

  • While your water boils and pasta cooks, in a large, oven-safe skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Brown sausage, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. If there is a lot of grease in the pan, drain sausage or use a paper towel to absorb some of the grease.
  • Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer,  covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in cooked pasta, cream, Parmesan, and basil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Bake

  • Sprinkle mozzarella over the top and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Approximate nutritional information is for 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 494kcal