• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Momcrieff
  • About Me
    • Contact me
  • Recipes
    • Three Ingredient Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Main Dish
    • Salads and Dressings
    • Soups
    • Baked Items
    • Desserts & Treats
  • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Air Fryer Protein
    • Air Fryer Sides
  • Gardening
    • Spring Gardening
    • Fall Gardening
    • Gardening And Landscaping
    • Planters / Containers
    • Misc. & Chores
  • Misc.
    • My 100 year old home
    • Home Ownership
    • Vacations
      • Family Vacation
    • DIY
      • DIY
      • Valentine's Day
      • Spring
      • Fabulous Fall!
      • Christmas & Winter
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • 1923 House
  • Easy Recipes
  • Gardening
  • DIY
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Easy Recipes » Baked Items

    Easy Baked Ziti with Sausage

    Published: Jun 16, 2025 by Susan Moncrieff · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Baked ziti is one of those comforting meals I come back to again and again -especially when cooking for my family. I’ve made it monthly for may years, and I change it up depending on what’s in the fridge. I often use rigatoni instead of ziti (it’s easier to find and I love the ridges!). Any tube pasta works well in this cheesy baked sausage casserole.

    Close-up of cheesy baked pasta with sausage and mozzarella

    My family loves cheesy pasta dishes. Of course sides we also have our favorite sides with this. My favorite side (or appetizer) to pasta dishes, is this garlic bread made with fresh garlic! If you like garlic, you are going to LOVE this homemade garlic bread. This cucumber and tomato salad with a simple dressing is also great to serve with this type of main pasta dish.

    Table of contents

    • Why I Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Make it Your Way
    • Instructions
    • Make-Ahead + Freezer Tips
    • Other Delicious Pasta Dishes
    • Printable Recipe

    Why I Love This Recipe

    It’s an easy and hearty meal that feeds a crowd.

    Rigatoni (or ziti) holds the sauce and cheese perfectly.

    You can make it ahead or freeze it for later.

    It’s super flexible—switch up the meats or cheeses based on what you have. I do love it with Italian sausage though. It's way more flavorful than ground beef!

    Ingredients

    Ingredients for baked ziti (or baked rigatoni)>  Includes pasta, marinara sauce, mozzarella, Eggs, mild itialian sausage, ground beef, parmesan, ricotta, eggs.

    1 pound – Ziti or rigatoni pasta
    1 pound - ground beef cooked and crumbled (I use a 15 % fat package).
    ½ pound – Italian sausage
    32 oz – Marinara or pasta sauce (store-bought or homemade) Have you tried Rao's? It has very simple ingredients and no additives!
    15 oz – Ricotta cheese
    2 cups (reserve 1 cup) – Shredded mozzarella cheese (plus extra if you like a cheesier top)
    ½ cup – Grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
    2 – Large eggs (to mix into ricotta, optional)
    1 teaspoon – Italian seasoning or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (optional)

    Note: I usually use rigatoni because it’s easier to find in my store—and I love the ridges. Ziti, penne, or even mostaccioli work just as well!

    Make it Your Way

    As I mentioned earlier, I often use what I have on hand to either substitute or add in addition to the basic recipe. Here are some options!

    Pasta Options - I often use rigatoni because it’s easier to find, but ziti, penne, or mostaccioli all work beautifully.

    Meat Options - Use all sausage, or do half sausage and half ground beef. Ground turkey or plant-based crumbles work too.

    Cheese Swaps - Sub cottage cheese for ricotta, or use a shredded Italian blend instead of just mozzarella.

    chocolate banana muffins
    FREE SIGN UP

    Looking for super easy delicious recipes? Sign up and I'll send them!

    Add Veggies - Add sautéed spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini for extra flavor and nutrition.

    Instructions

    Preheat oven to 375°F.

    Step 1
    Boil pasta (ziti, rigatoni, or your favorite tube pasta) until al dente. Drain and set aside.

    Step 2
    In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and sausage. I brown them together. Drain excess grease. Add marinara sauce and oregano and simmer for a few minutes.

    adding marinara sauce to ground beef and sausage crumbles.

    Step 3
    In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, half the mozzarella, and eggs.

    Mixing ricotta, mozzarella and eggs.

    Step 4
    In a large baking dish, layer as follows: about ⅓ of sauce on the bottom, then all the pasta, top the pasta with all the ricotta mixture.

    tomato and meat sauce as the base layer. Then rigatoni layered on top of the sauce.

    Then add the balance of the tomato/meat sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.


    Some people like doing 2 layers of each but I have always just done it as above (it's easier and faster)!

    baked ziti with sausage ready for the oven. A delicious layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese with a sprinkle of italian herbs on top.

    Step 5
    Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

    Baked ziti with a sprinkle of fresh basil for garnish.

    Make-Ahead + Freezer Tips

    To Make Ahead:
    Assemble the full dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 10–15 extra minutes to the bake time if cold.

    To Freeze:
    Wrap unbaked pasta tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 2 months. Bake from frozen (covered) at 375°F for 1 hour, then uncover for 15–20 minutes. Make sure you remove the plastic wrap before baking!

    Leftovers:
    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat in oven or microwave.

    Other Delicious Pasta Dishes

    • caprese orzo salad with fresh tomatos, basil, small mozzarella and orzo all in a glass bowl.
      Caprese Orzo salad
    • Pasta Fagioli soup in a red pot.
      Easy Pasta Fagioli Soup
    • taco pasta shells
      Taco Stuffed Shells
    • piece of lazy
      Quick Lazy Lasagna

    Printable Recipe

    Close-up of cheesy baked pasta with sausage and mozzarella
    Print Recipe
    No ratings yet

    Easy Baked Ziti with Sausage

    Baked ziti (Rigatoni) is one of those comforting meals I come back to again and again—especially when cooking for my family. I’ve made this dozens of times, and I change it up depending on what’s in the fridge. I usually use rigatoni instead of ziti (it’s easier to find and I love the ridges!), but any tube pasta works well in this cheesy baked sausage casserole.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
    Course: casserole, Main Course, Main dish
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 539Kcal
    Author: Susan Moncrieff

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound Ziti or rigatoni pasta
    • 1 pound ground beef cooked and crumbled I use 15% fat ground beef. Both ground beef and sausage can be browned together.
    • ½ pound Italian sausage Mild or spicy depending on your family's preferences.
    • 32 oz Marinara sauce Containers contain various sizes now! If you use anywhere from 28 - 32 oz, the recipe will be fine. I like Rao's brand.
    • 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
    • 2 cups Mozzarella Shredded. Reserve about ⅔ cup to sprinkle on top. If I have extra cheese at home, I'll sometimes add more to the top to make it cheesier.
    • ½ cup Parmesan grated
    • 2 Eggs to mix into ricotta and cheese
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or oregano for the sauce and some to sprinkle on top.

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375°F.
    • Boil pasta (ziti, rigatoni, or your favorite tube pasta) until al dente. Drain and set aside.
    • In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and sausage. I brown them together. Drain excess grease. Add marinara sauce and oregano and simmer for a few minutes.
    • In a medium bowl, mix ricotta, half the mozzarella, and eggs.
    • In a large baking dish, layer as follows: about ⅓ of sauce on the bottom, then all the pasta, top the pasta with all the ricotta mixture, then add the balance of the tomato/meat sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.Some people like doing 2 layers of each but I have always just done it as above (it's easier and faster.)!
    • Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

    Nutrition (I am not a nutritionist. These are estimates only)

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 539Kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 897mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 820IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 298mg | Iron: 3mg
    Baked rigatoni with sausage and melted cheese on a blue dish.  Text overlay says cheesy baked ziti with sausage - so good!

    More Baked Items

    • 3 ingredient spice cake banana loaf sliced with some sprinkled powder sugar on top.
      Easy 3 Ingredient Banana Bread
    • Slices of banana bread made with cake mix and bananas, showing the moist texture and chocolate chip pieces.
      4 Ingredient Banana Bread (with Chocolate Chips!)
    • A serving of chocolate cherry dump cake on a white plate, topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
      Black Forest Dump Cake (3 Ingredients)
    • pigs in a blanket
      Pigs In a Blanket | Mini Crescent Dogs

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Susan! I love sharing easy recipes, especially those that take less than 30 minutes and have less than 5 ingredients. I'm passionate about gardening and creating flower planters. My home is 100 years old and sometimes you will see it in my posts! It was a true fixer upper and I love it!

    More about me →

    Subscribe to Momcrieff

    Trending Articles...

    • An air fried sweet potato with a pat of butter melting in it and salt and pepper on it.
      Air Fryer Baked Sweet Potato
    • close up of three ingredient peanut butter cookies
      3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Easy, No Flour)
    • pasta bar ingredients including cooked spaghetti, spiral pasta, tomatos, cucumbers, steamed broccoli, hard boiled eggs, feta cheese, cut up rotisserie chicken, peppers.
      Easy Pasta Bar Ideas
    • 2 ingredient pumpkin muffins in muffin tin
      2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins
    • Air Fryer Rosemary Potatoes in a blue bowl with a sprig of rosemary beside the bowl.
      Easy Air Fryer Rosemary Potatoes
    • shortbread cookies on a white plate
      Simple and Delicious Shortbread Cookies
    • 3 ingredient chocolate banana muffins
      Banana chocolate muffins - 3 ingredients.
    • a serving of peach cobbler with a crispy topping and peaches showing. Served on a white plate.
      3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Susan Moncrieff
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact

    Categories

    • Easy Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Flower Planters / Container Gardens

    Most Popular

    • 31+ Outdoor Planters
    • My Raised Garden Beds
    • Three Ingredient Peach Cobbler
    • Deconstructed cabbage rolls

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025

    Close-up of cheesy baked pasta with sausage and mozzarella on a white plate. Text says baked rigatoni with sausage and ricotta cheese.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required