Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

Classic baked ziti with Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and three types of cheese. A crowd-pleasing comfort food dinner!

Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Ingredients

• 1 lb ziti pasta
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 24 oz marinara sauce
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook ziti according to package directions.
2. Brown Italian sausage in a large skillet, breaking it up as it cooks.
3. Add marinara sauce to sausage, simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Mix ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, parmesan, and basil.
5. Combine cooked pasta with sausage sauce and ricotta mixture.
6. Transfer to 9x13 baking dish, top with remaining mozzarella.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden.