Alright, who is going to be the first person to look at my picture and tell me that’s not Baked Ziti… it’s penne… ?? I know, I know! I kinda just like penne noodles better because they’re not so big. But, penne, ziti, rigatoni… whatever you choose, your family will love this. I know mine does! It’s man-friendly (plenty of meat), kid-friendly (no onion or tomato chunks), and mom-friendly (easy to make!) And, I’m talking ‘in general,’ of course. When I ask the kids what to make for our big Sunday dinner, this recipe for Baked Ziti is often at the top of the list.
Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti ~ Kid-Friendly (and awesome!)
Ingredients
- 4 cups ziti or penne noodles
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage
- 3 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 TBS. minced dry onion
- 4 - 14.5 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup pesto
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese shredded (divided)
Instructions
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Heat oven to 375 degrees.
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In a medium saucepan, boil water and cook noodles.
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In a separate pan, cook the sausage.
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After it's cooked through, add the minced garlic and dry minced onions, cook for 1 minute more.
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Add cans of crushed tomatoes and pesto, stir and heat until hot, about 5 minutes.
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Drain cooked pasta and dump in large bowl.
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Add mozzarella and half of the Parmesan to the hot noodles, stir.
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Dump tomato and meat sauce over the noodles and stir to combine.
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Dump mixture into sprayed/greased 9x13 baking dish.
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Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on top.
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Bake for about 30 minutes, until cheese melts and heated through.
For more Italian style dishes, check out these recipes: Stuffed Italian Shells, Bulk Marinara Sauce for Freezing, Tortellini and Sausage Bake
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