About
Take a picture of this dish and put it on the wall because it deserves the highest praise! Hall of Fame Baked Ziti has a blue-ribbon homemade meat marinara enriched with Italian seasonings and the mellow sweetness of tomatoes, as well as a creamy, tangy cheese layer right in its ooey-gooey center. Layer upon layer of tender pasta ensures that every bite of the top-notch sauce and cheese arrives at your tastebuds. With even more cheese melted on top, Hall of Fame Baked Ziti certainly takes home the gold. Your next party will be a top-rated affair, that's for sure!
Ingredients
- For the tomato sauce:
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 1 stick celery, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 (14-ounce) jars of tomato basil sauce
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- For the cream sauce:
- 1 cup cream cheese, softened, or ricotta
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 4-8 tablespoons reserved cooking water from the pasta
- For the pasta:
- 16 ounces ziti, cooked, drained with 1/2 cup cooking water reserved, and cooled
- For the cheese:
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 -Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 3 -Add the crumbled sausage and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 -Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5 -Stir the tomato paste and the Italian seasoning into the sausage mixture.
Step 6 -Add the tomato sauce to the tomato paste mixture.
Step 7 -Simmer the mixture on low heat for 5 minutes.
Step 8 -In a medium bowl, stir the cream cheese, salt, pepper, and reserved cooking water together. Start with only 2 tablespoons of the cooking water to start, adding more until you end up with a thick, smooth sauce.
Step 9 -Spread a spoonful of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Step 10 -Add 1/2 of the pasta to the casserole dish, spreading it evenly.
Step 11 -Add 1/3 of the mozzarella.
Step 12 -Spread the cream sauce on top of the mozzarella layer.
Step 13 -Add 1/2 of the meat sauce to the casserole.
Step 14 -Add the remaining pasta in an even layer.
Step 15 -Sprinkle the pasta layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella.
Step 16 -Top with the remaining meat sauce.
Step 17 -Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan.
Step 18 -Bake until the cheeses are melted and the casserole is bubbly, for about 25-30 minutes.
Step 19 -Serve hot.
