How to make Million Dollar Baked Ziti? The perfect Baked Pasta recipe

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese offers a similar texture with fewer calories.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Provolone is often less expensive and melts well.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground chicken

Ground turkey is leaner and often cheaper.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Pecorino

Nutritional yeast is a lower-calorie alternative with cheesy flavor.

Cook 1 pound of ziti according to package instructions.

In another pan, cook 1 pound of Italian sausage.

Add 4 cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon of basil, a little salt, and a little pepper to taste to the sausage.

Add a 28 oz can of tomato sauce and a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes to the pan.

Cook the sauce until it bubbles, then reduce the temperature and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

In a bowl, add a block of room temperature cream cheese (or whipped cream cheese), 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of sour cream, and 16 oz of cottage cheese. Mix until well combined.

Add 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the mixture and stir to combine.

Add the cooked ziti and 1 cup of the meat sauce to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

Transfer the mixture to a prepared glass baking dish.

Pour more of the meat sauce on top and finish with more Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Cover the dish with tin foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.

Remove the tin foil and bake for another 25 minutes.

Let the baked ziti sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens