READY IN 1 hr

Best Ziti Ever

Read Reviews (231)

"Ziti is layered with sausage, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce, then baked until bubbling." — Dawn

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat marinara with 1 teaspoon basil until bubbling. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
Spread bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with sauce. Layer 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2, the sausage, 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1/2 the mozzarella. Spoon half of the sauce over top. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 teaspoons basil and Italian seasoning.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 40 mins
READY IN 1 hr

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Sep 15, 2004

Wow, this made so much food! We made some changes to the dish, and it was amazing! We only baked it for 35 minutes because the cheese on top was getting overdone on 350 degrees F. We used turkey instead of sausage and added 2 cloves of garlic and a half cup of yellow onion to spice up the turkey. Also we used 1 jar of Emmeril's "Roasted Red Pepper" sauce in addition to one jar of the marinara. Using only 3 cups of cheese instead of 4 made us feel better about the high fat content. But we used italian cheese instead of just plain mozzarella. It was excellent, and now we have food for days!

—MOOZOGASSIR

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Apr 16, 2012

Meh. Made as directed, but I guess I like the sour cream and provolone baked ziti recipes better.

—Mary F

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333 Ratings

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Nov 25, 2007

This truly is the Best Ziti Ever. It makes an enormous amount of food, so this would be great to take to a pot luck dinner or just to serve a large family. The smell while it was cooking was absolutely divine. I felt like I was at an Italian restaurant. This dish is restaurant quality. I didn't change a thing. It is perfect just the way it is. Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe.

—mgraeff

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Nov 11, 2006

Like others, I found this recipe made waaaaay more than I thought it would. I'm really glad I cut it in half, as there are only two of us :). I added some sauteed mushrooms to the sausage layers. I also mixed fresh basil in with the ricotta, and used oregano and marjoram instead of italian seasoning (I didn't have any). We both love anything with ricotta cheese, and the cheese was definitely a star in this dish. Even though it has pasta in it, I found that the leftovers were very good, not dry at all. It froze nicely, too. A delicious alternative to lasagna, I'll make this again for sure!

—Food4me

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Mar 04, 2008

This dish definitely gets five stars for taste! Remember though that it takes MANY dirty pans and dishes (ie pasta, sauce, saute- three different pans) to make this. BUT - it could be done well in advance and then popped in the over since everything is cooked already and you are just reheating.

—geneen

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May 27, 2011

this is so good! its great to assemble beforehand then just cover with foil and pop it into the over for about an hour. i use sweet italian sausage and top wit grated quality parmesan. delicious meal that everyone loves!

—la belle vie

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Apr 21, 2008

This is a great recipe. I skiped the step to heat up the sauce, it was not needed and I didn't want to dirty another pan. The left overs were great the next day too! Highly recommend!

—HOLDOSH

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Mar 16, 2012

Rating again....GREAT! Family still loves it, and made it for the masses...awesome! Thanks again for a fab recipe! Yum!!!!!!!! I fed numerous neighbor kids...the family, and a couple of other neighbors that stopped by for a glass of wine...wow. I did add a whole chopped onion, some mushrooms, and some garlic (about 3 cloves)...this IS the recipe...I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta and will do so next time too! I'm making that when the in-laws come next week...thanks SO much!!!!!

—CHRISPENTINA

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Nutrition

Calories
696 kcal
35%

Carbohydrates
71.3 g
23%

Cholesterol
75 mg
25%

Fat
28.5 g
44%

Fiber
6.4 g
26%

Protein
36.6 g
73%

Sodium
1617 mg
65%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Best Ziti Ever

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 696
Calories from Fat: 256

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 28.5g 44 %
Saturated Fat 12.9g 65 %
Cholesterol 75mg 25 %
Sodium 1617mg 65 %
Potassium 891mg 25 %
Total Carbohydrates 71.3g 23 %
Dietary Fiber 6.4g 26 %
Protein 36.6g 73 %
Sugars 17.5g
Vitamin A 25 %
Vitamin C 6 %
Calcium 78 %
Iron 42 %
** Thiamin 35 %
Niacin 145 %
Vitamin B6 35 %
Magnesium 33 %
Folate 95 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.