Sausage Baked Ziti
Flavorful sausage, creamy sauce, and crunchy peppers come together in one luxurious pan with my Sausage Baked Ziti. It's a weeknight favorite!
Servings: 10
Calories: 422kcal
Equipment
- Oven-proof skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ lb Italian pork sausage
- 1 cup Green bell pepper cut into strips
- ⅓ cup Red onion sliced
- ⅓ cup Flour
- 2¼ cups Whole milk
- 2 cups Cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley optional
See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the skillet. While melting, prepare the ziti to package directions.1 lb Ziti, 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula. Cook until nicely crumbled and browned. Remove from the spatula, but leave the fat!½ lb Italian pork sausage
- Add the sliced green peppers and onions to the pan, cooking in the sausage fat until tender but not browned.1 cup Green bell pepper, ⅓ cup Red onion
- Stir in the flour until no clumps remain, then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously.⅓ cup Flour, 2¼ cups Whole milk
- Cook over medium heat, stirring consistently, until the milk has thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the shredded cheese and Parmesan.2 cups Cheddar cheese, ½ cup Parmesan
- Stir until the cheese has melted completely, adding salt and pepper to taste.Salt and pepper
- Add in the prepared ziti and sausage, then stir again.
- Place the entire pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Garnish with parsley, and serve!Parsley
Video
Notes
- The ziti will cook a little more once placed in the oven, so drain it once it's al dente.
- You want a large, completely oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. Anything with plastic on it will not be oven safe!
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, pour the mixture into a casserole dish to bake.
- While the sausage is browning is the perfect time to let the ziti cook! The sausage, peppers and sauce should be ready just in time to add the pasta.
- Make sure to save and use the sausage fat! It takes the place of butter for this recipe and adds a ton of incredible flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 445IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 304mg | Iron: 1mg