Baked Ziti With Ricotta
Baked ziti with ricotta is a cheesy, creamy version of the Italian classic with a easy tomato based sauce that'll have dinner ready in no time.
Equipment
- 16x9 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 10 ounce ziti pasta, dry
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- First, prep the ingredients before starting. Dice the onion, dice the green bell pepper, mince the garlic, chop the basil and shred the cheese.
- Now in a pot, brown the Italian sausage. Once the sausage is browned remove it from the pot and add in the diced onion, green bell pepper and minced garlic. Add a little oil into the pot for cooking, about two tablespoons.
- Cook these ingredients until they have softened and are fragrant. Then, add in the tomato paste and mix it in with everything cooking the paste in the process.
- Now, toss in the chopped basil, dried oregano, cooked sausage, tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. Then, slowly pour in the chicken stock and the balsamic vinegar. Then, cover the pot and allow the sauce to simmer while you cook the noodles. Preheat oven to 400℉
- Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. When the noodles are finished after 12-15 minutes turn the heat off from the sauce. Do not rinse the noodles when they are finished. Drain the noodles then toss them directly into the sauce. Taste the mixture for seasoning.
- In a 16x9 baking dish, start to layer the baked ziti with ricotta. Layer the sauce and noodles, dollops of ricotta then mozzarella cheese and repeat. The last layer should be the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and started to brown a little. Remove from oven and allow to cool a bit before serving. For garnishing, shred some fresh parmesan and add chopped parsley.
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
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