The Ultimate Cheesy Baked Ziti Recipe | Easy and Delicious Pasta Bake!

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese offers a lower-fat option while maintaining creaminess.

Italian sausage

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: pork sausage

Turkey sausage reduces fat content while still providing flavor.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces calories while maintaining texture.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free alternative with a cheesy flavor.

Dice the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper.

Add olive oil to a pan and sauté the diced vegetables until softened.

Add Italian sausage to the pan and break it up as it cooks.

Add garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant.

Add half a tablespoon of better than bouillon chicken base and some pesto to the mixture.

Stir in tomato paste and mix well.

Add five roasted diced tomatoes and marinara sauce, then mix everything together.

Cover and let the sauce simmer for about twenty minutes.

Boil ziti pasta until al dente, then drain and add a little sauce to prevent sticking.

In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, Creole seasoning, red pepper flakes, and one egg.

Start layering the baked ziti by adding sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, then ziti, sauce, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with mozzarella on top.

Bake in the oven at 350°F until bubbly.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens