Looking for an easy, kid-approved dinner that’s perfect for busy nanny days? This baked ziti is cheesy, comforting, simple to make, and even better as leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. It was always a favorite with the children in my care, and I hope it becomes one in yours too!

You can always swap the ground sausage with ground beef, ground turkey, or Beyond Meat plant protein.

You Will Need:

cooking spray
1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound mild or sweet Italian sausage
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 large egg
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)

What to Do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in ziti and return to a boil. Cook pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well.
3. While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir until brown, about 10 minutes. Drain sausage and set aside.
4. Stir together ricotta, onion, egg, garlic, and oregano in a large bowl until well combined. Stir in pasta, sausage, salt, pepper, and the half jar of spaghetti sauce; mix well.
5. Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1/3 of the full jar spaghetti sauce. Layer with 1/2 of the pasta mixture, 1/2 of the remaining spaghetti sauce, and 1/2 of the shredded cheese. Repeat layers once more using remaining pasta, sauce, and cheese. Sprinkle basil over top and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; return to the oven and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 10 more minutes.

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References:

Recipe from All Recipes
Photo by Stephanie Felzenberg