Ziti Pasta Casserole

Votes: 1

Time: 50 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 8

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 718, total fat 43 G., saturated fats 17 G., proteins 34 G., carbohydrates 49 G., fiber 4 G., cholesterol 97 mg, sodium 1080 mg, sugar 5 G.

Ziti pasta is baked in a homemade tomato-meat sauce under a thick layer of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese until the cheese melts, creating a delicious, chewy crust. Thanks to their tubular shape, ziti perfectly absorbs the sauce, giving you a delicious flavor in every bite. This recipe requires less sauce than you'll cook. Leftovers can be added to other pasta dishes the next day or frozen.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Casserole

450 g ziti
3.5 cups quick tomato sauce, recipe below
450 g fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1 cm cubes and the other half into thin slices
3/4 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan
0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of red pepper flakes

Quick tomato sauce

450 g raw sweet and/or spicy Italian sausage, remove casings, crumble mince
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tbsp)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (800 g) canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped
A sprig of thyme
A sprig of basil

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: pasta ziti, minced sausage, tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, thyme, basil

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season generously with salt, and cook the pasta until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain.

Combine the cooked pasta in a large bowl with the quick tomato sauce, diced mozzarella, half the Parmesan, and black and red pepper. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
Top with slices of mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
Bake until lightly browned and heated through, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Quick tomato sauce

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring until lightly browned, another 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.

Use the sauce immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce can also be frozen for up to 2 months..