Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage and Pesto

My baked ziti with sausage is bubbling, cheesy, and packed with cozy Italian flavor. The pasta gets coated in a rich marinara sauce with browned Italian sausage, wilted spinach, and plenty of melted cheese, while little spoonfuls of pesto melt into the sauce as it bakes. I especially love the golden, cheesy edges and that it only takes me about 20 minutes to get everything into the oven.

Every scoop of my baked ziti with sausage comes with pockets of warm, garlicky pesto tucked next to soft, melted mozzarella. The pesto cuts through the rich sausage marinara and keeps each bite tasting bright, even on the second helping.

I learned in recipe testing that where the pesto goes matters. Dotted over the top right before baking, it melts down into the pasta in little pockets instead of vanishing into the sauce. Torn fresh mozzarella scattered between the dollops bakes into soft, stretchy pools, and a few minutes under the broiler browns the cheese without drying out the pasta noodles.

Underneath, it’s simple: Italian sausage and onion simmered in marinara with a handful of spinach, then tossed with the ziti and cheddar so every tube is coated before it bakes. It’s the baked ziti I make for friends and family, and I often assemble a second pan to freeze for later.

 If you like this one, my cheesy baked ravioli casserole is another easy pasta bake my family enjoys.

Make-ahead and freezing instructions

My baked ziti is easy to get ahead on because everything is assembled in the casserole dish before it goes into the oven.

To make it ahead: Assemble the ziti, cover the dish with foil, and refrigerate it for up to a day. Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking while the oven heats, then add an extra 10-15 minutes to the baking time.

To freeze it: I usually double the recipe and freeze the second pan. If you’re freezing it, add a little extra marinara, since the pasta soaks up some moisture in the freezer. Line the casserole dish with parchment paper, assemble the ziti, and freeze it until solid. Lift the frozen block out using the parchment, wrap it in foil, and slide it into a large resealable bag. It keeps for up to 3 months, and your casserole dish stays free in the meantime. I use this same method when freezing my tortellini casserole.

To bake from frozen: Remove the bag and foil, then put the ziti back in the same casserole dish. You can thaw it in the fridge overnight and bake it as above. Or bake it straight from frozen, covered with foil, at 350°F for about 1 hour, until it reaches 165°F in the center; then uncover and broil to finish.

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Cheesy Baked Ziti with Sausage and Pesto

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr

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My baked ziti with sausage is saucy, cheesy, and full of cozy Italian flavor. Rich marinara, browned sausage, spinach, melty cheese, and little pockets of pesto come together in an easy pasta bake that takes just 20 minutes to prep.

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb ziti
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion (finely minced)
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 1 lb Italian sausage (removed from the casing – see notes)
• ▢ 3 cups marinara sauce
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach (packed)
• ▢ Salt and pepper (to taste)
• ▢ 2 cups cheddar (divided)
• ▢ ½ cup pesto
• ▢ 1 ball fresh mozzarella

Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the ziti according to the package directions and then drain.
  1 lb ziti
  
• While the pasta boils, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it turns translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage, until it is cooked through and no longer pink. If there is a lot of fat in the pan, remove it with a spoon or carefully with a paper towel.
  2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion, 3 cloves garlic, 1 lb Italian sausage
  
• Pour the marinara sauce into the pan and bring it to a simmer. Add the spinach and let it wilt. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
  3 cups marinara sauce, 2 cups baby spinach, Salt and pepper
  
• Put the cooked ziti into a 9×13-inch casserole dish, pour the sauce over the top, and mix well. Add about 1 ½ cups of the cheddar cheese and mix it in.
  2 cups cheddar
  
• Spoon the pesto in dots over the pasta. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of cheddar cheese then break the mozzarella ball into pieces and scatter them over the top.
  ½ cup pesto, 1 ball fresh mozzarella
  
• Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil then bake for 30-35 minutes, until it is hot and bubbling. Remove the foil and broil for 4-5 minutes to brown the cheese. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
  

Notes

Pasta: If you don’t have ziti on hand, use any short tube pasta. 

Italian sausage: My family loves this recipe with hot Italian sausage. It adds heat and lots of flavor. If your family is really sensitive to heat, you can use mild. Or even swap the sausage for ground beef. 

Sausage casings: I like to remove the meat from the casings and crumble it like ground beef. If you want larger chunks of sausage, you can slice it.

Spinach: I love adding spinach for a little veggie boost. You can omit it if your kids don’t eat it. You can also add other veggies, such as minced peppers, carrots, or mushrooms. If adding other veggies, I like to sauté them with the onion. 

Freezing: When I make this, I often double the quantities and make one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer. Here’s how I freeze casseroles so I don’t have to keep a casserole dish in the freezer: Line your casserole dish with parchment paper, assemble the casserole, and put it into your freezer. Once it’s frozen, remove it from the casserole dish using the parchment paper, wrap it in foil (to prevent freezer burn), then put the frozen, casserole-shaped chunk into a resealable bag. Remove the bag and foil and put it back into your casserole dish when you want to bake it. Easy!

You can bake it from frozen (adding extra time) or let it thaw in your fridge overnight.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 = ⅛ of the recipe, Calories: 688kcal (34%), Carbohydrates: 52g (17%), Protein: 31g (62%), Fat: 42g (65%), Saturated Fat: 17g (106%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 95mg (32%), Sodium: 1367mg (59%), Potassium: 652mg (19%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 1888IU (38%), Vitamin C: 11mg (13%), Calcium: 415mg (42%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

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