The Best Ever Baked Ziti
Description
Whether making this dish for family or guests, everyone will love it. It's the best baked ziti you will ever eat with it's creamy sauce, sausage, pasta and cheeses. It can also be made without meat, if desired.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 lb. Ziti, Rigatoni, Farfalle or Penne pasta
24-26 oz. marinara sauce, divided
16 oz. 1 % fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 c. chopped basil, plus more for garnish
1 c. heavy cream
1 t. cornstarch
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. Italian seasonings
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In a skillet, brown sausage; discard grease; let cool.
Bring a large pot of well salted water (1 T.) to a boil; add pasta. Cook about 5 minutes (it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain.
While the pasta water is heating up and pasta is cooking, brown sausage in a skillet; discard grease; let cool.
While pasta and sausage are cooking, in a large bowl, add 1 c. marinara sauce, cottage cheese, 3/4 c. mozzarella cheese, 1 c. Parmesan cheese, eggs and basil. Add cooked and drained sausage.
In one of the pots used to cook the pasta or sausage (whichever pan is available first), add heavy cream, cornstarch, garlic powder and Italian seasonings; whisk together; cook over medium heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat; stir into cottage cheese mixture.
Add pasta to the cottage cheese mixture; mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Spread remaining marinara sauce over the top; evenly spread the remaining 3/4 c. mozzarella cheese; sprinkle on remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve, garnished with more basil.
8 servings.
*This dish can be frozen for up to a month in a tightly sealed dish. Thaw in the refrigerator 1 day before baking. Bake according to instructions.