Description
The best cheesy One Pot Baked Ziti recipe with sausage and spinach; everything, including the noodles are cooked in one pot and then finished in the oven.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can tomato sauce (28-ounce)
- 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups water
- 12 ounces ziti (about 3 3/4 cups)
- 6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 6 ounces baby spinach (about 6 cups)
- 6 ounces whole milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
- 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese (1 cup)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking the meat into 1/2-inch pieces, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomato (with the juice), oregano, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the water, pasta, 1/4 cup basil, and increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously, stirring often, until the pasta is still very firm but starting to soften, 6 to 8 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack 8 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler.
- Remove the pasta from the heat and stir in the spinach, 3/4 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Dollop the surface of the pasta evenly with the ricotta and then top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Broil the ziti until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the dish cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons of basil and serve.
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 475
- Sugar: 3.6g
- Sodium: 912.4mg
- Fat: 16.5g
- Carbohydrates: 55.7g
- Protein: 29.7g
- Cholesterol: 51.4mg