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A hearty, satisfying, utterly indulgent supper is only a few steps away with my easy Sausage Baked Ziti! Chock full of gooey cheese, flavorful sausage and crunchy peppers, this baked pasta with sausage is sure to become a weeknight favorite.
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Baked Pasta with Sausage
There's nothing like the amazing smell of sausage baked pasta to bring everyone to the kitchen! Every time I put this Italian sausage casserole in the oven, I can count down the minutes before my family comes in to ask what's cooking.
Let me tell you, there's never a disappointed face when I pull this pasta sausage bake from the oven! I've tried a lot of pasta bake recipes in my time, but it's hard to beat how easy, flavorful and indulgent baked ziti is.
And who would think it would be so easy, too? Using only one pan plus a pot for the pasta, a few easy steps and the rest of the time in the oven, this baked pasta with sausage recipe comes together in no time- and leaves tons of time for sides!
Pasta Sausage Bake Ingredients
- Ziti pasta
- Butter
- Italian pork sausage
- Salt and pepper
- Green bell pepper
- Red onion
- Flour
- Whole milk
- Cheddar
- Parmesan
- Parsley (optional)
How to Make Oven Baked Pasta
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and set a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. While melting, prepare the ziti to package directions.
- Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until nicely crumbled and browned. Remove from the spatula, but leave the fat!
- Add the sliced green peppers and onions to the pan, cooking in the sausage fat until tender but not browned.
- Stir in the flour until no clumps remain, then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until the milk has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the shredded cheese and Parmesan.
- Stir until the cheese has melted completely, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Add in the prepared ziti and sausage, then stir again.
- Place the entire pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Garnish with parsley, and serve!
Pasta Bake Recipe Tips
- The ziti will cook a little more once placed in the oven, so drain it once it's al dente (slightly underdone).
- You want a large, completely oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. Anything with plastic on it will not be oven safe!
- If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, pour the mixture into a casserole dish to bake.
- While the sausage is browning is the perfect time to let the ziti cook! The sausage, peppers and sauce should be ready just in time to add the pasta.
- Make sure to save and use the sausage fat! It takes the place of butter for this recipe and adds a ton of incredible flavor.
Baked Pasta with Sausage FAQs
Baked ziti does not need to be covered while baking! This is because you are cooking the pasta before putting it in the oven. Covering the pasta helps it steam, which is helpful for uncooked pasta, but can make cooked pasta too soft. Leave cooked pasta uncovered so the cheese can form a nice crust!
Baked ziti truly shines when paired with Italian pork sausage! This spicy, flavorful meat mixes into the sauce easily and flavors the entire dish. It's also in small enough crumbles that it cooks evenly in the oven and adds a great aroma.
It's important to use enough liquid to keep baked ziti from drying out. For a baked ziti with precooked noodles, you will need less liquid than a pasta bake using uncooked noodles, but both will need plenty of liquid regardless! This keeps the pasta nice and moist after baking.
While baked ziti and lasagna are both baked pasta dishes that typically incorporate cheese and meat, they are not the same dish! "Ziti" and "lasagna" are both types of pasta, and the dishes are named after the pasta used. While both are baked in the oven with sauce, this is the only persistent similarity.
Sausage and Pasta Recipes
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Sausage Baked Ziti
Equipment
- Oven-proof skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ lb Italian pork sausage
- 1 cup Green bell pepper cut into strips
- ⅓ cup Red onion sliced
- ⅓ cup Flour
- 2¼ cups Whole milk
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. While melting, prepare the ziti to package directions.1 lb Ziti, 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until nicely crumbled and browned. Remove from the spatula, but leave the fat!½ lb Italian pork sausage
- Add the sliced green peppers and onions to the pan, cooking in the sausage fat until tender but not browned.1 cup Green bell pepper, ⅓ cup Red onion
- Stir in the flour until no clumps remain, then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously.⅓ cup Flour, 2¼ cups Whole milk
- Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until the milk has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the shredded cheese and Parmesan.2 cups Cheddar cheese, ½ cup Parmesan
- Stir until the cheese has melted completely, adding salt and pepper to taste.Salt and pepper
- Add in the prepared ziti and sausage, then stir again.
- Place the entire pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Garnish with parsley, and serve!Parsley
Video
Notes
- The ziti will cook a little more once placed in the oven, so drain it once it's al dente.
- You want a large, completely oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. Anything with plastic on it will not be oven safe!
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, pour the mixture into a casserole dish to bake.
- While the sausage is browning is the perfect time to let the ziti cook! The sausage, peppers and sauce should be ready just in time to add the pasta.
- Make sure to save and use the sausage fat! It takes the place of butter for this recipe and adds a ton of incredible flavor.
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