BEST ZITI EVER

Best Ziti Ever image

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

Provided by Dawn

Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian

Time 1h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil, divided
12 ounces ricotta cheese
1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
1 dash salt and pepper
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Steps:

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 695.6 calories, Carbohydrate 71.3 g, Cholesterol 75.2 mg, Fat 28.5 g, Fiber 6.4 g, Protein 36.6 g, SaturatedFat 12.9 g, Sodium 1617.5 mg, Sugar 17.5 g