Easy Baked Ziti with Spicy Italian Sausage
This hearty baked ziti combines ziti pasta, spicy Italian sausage, fresh tomatoes, and gooey melted cheese for a comforting Italian classic with a kick.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 600kcal
Ingredients
Pasta and Cheese
- 280 g Ziti or Zitoni pasta or pasta tubes like short ziti or rigatoni
- 200 g scamorza cheese and/or mozzarella or smoked scamorza
- 60 g pecorino grated or Parmigiano
Sauce Ingredients
- 200 g spicy sausage or soft salami
- 400 g peeled tomatoes or tomato passata
- 100 g cherry tomatoes optional
- 1 piece onion chopped
- 6-8 leaves basil chopped
- 125 ml white wine
- 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Preparation
- In a skillet, heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the spicy sausage cut into pieces and the chopped onion. Sauté until the onion is transparent, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and increase the heat to allow it to evaporate.
- If you’re using cherry tomatoes, toss them in now and let them cook for about 2 minutes to soften.
Cooking the Sauce
- Add the tomato passata to the skillet. Season with salt and reduce the heat to medium, letting the sauce simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. In the last few minutes, stir in the chopped basil for that fresh flavor.
Preparing the Pasta
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (390°F) and grease a baking dish with a bit of olive oil.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add salt and let it come to a boil again.
- Add the pasta and cook it very al dente according to the package instructions. Remember to reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water before draining!
Combining and Baking
- Mix the drained pasta with the tomato sauce, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water if the sauce seems too dry.
- In your greased baking dish, start layering: Begin with a layer of pasta and sauce, followed by a layer of sliced cheese and some sausage pieces.
- Repeat this until all ingredients are used, finishing with a final layer of pasta.
- On top of the last pasta layer, arrange the remaining cheese slices and generously sprinkle grated pecorino.
- Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and begins to brown.
- For that perfect golden top, you can put it under the broiler for an extra 2 minutes.
Serving
- Allow the baked ziti to rest for a few minutes before serving.
- Scoop portions onto plates and garnish with a few fresh basil leaves for color.
Notes
Make it Vegetarian: Swap out the spicy sausage for a plant-based alternative or leave it out for a veggie baked ziti. Add more veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach. Experiment with different cheese combinations. Adding creamy ricotta can elevate the dish. Add crushed red pepper flakes for extra heat!