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Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage, Ground Beef, Ricotta Cheese, Sour Cream and Mozzarella Cheese
This cheesy pasta bake is an incredibly rich, old-school meets secret-ingredient kind of baked ziti. The addition of sour cream, pureed carrots and beef bouillon in the sauce are bold moves for both texture and natural sweetness.
What is so unique and comforting about this baked ziti recipe?
- The Secret Sauce: Instead of cracking open a jar, you’ll blend whole peeled tomatoes with onion, garlic, carrots, tomato paste, a hit of beef bouillon, and a sneaky splash of soy sauce. That soy sauce isn’t there to make it taste Asian — it’s a flavor ninja that adds deep, savory umami you can’t quite put your finger on (but everyone at the table will ask about).
- Protein Packed: A savory mix of 85% lean ground beef and Italian sausage provides the perfect fat-to-flavor ratio.
- Maximum Creaminess: The addition of sour cream to the ricotta mixture creates a tang and moisture level that outshines traditional recipes.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: This dish tastes even better the next day and is incredibly freezer-friendly.
Try our other pasta favorites…
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Visual Step-by-Step Guide for Making Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage:
What’s in this cheesy pasta bake
- mild Italian sausage
- ground beef
- whole peeled tomatoes
- ricotta cheese
- sour cream
- egg
- parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- carrots
- onion
- beef bouillon
- soy sauce
Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Looking for the best comfort food dinner that tastes like it came straight from a Sunday feast at Grandma’s? This Baked Ziti recipe is the perfect marriage of a hearty meat sauce and a decadent, five-cheese creamy center.
Unlike standard recipes that can turn out dry, our version uses a signature blend of whole milk ricotta, sour cream, and a fresh egg to ensure every bite is velvety and rich. Combined with a custom-blended meat sauce featuring mild Italian sausage and lean ground beef, carrots, onions, fresh garlic, beef bouillon and soy sauce, this is the only baked ziti recipe you’ll ever need.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking, Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Ingredients
- 4 mild Italian sausage links (~1 1/4 pounds)
- 1 pound 85% ground beef
- 2 carrots
- 1 small onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 28 ounces of whole peeled tomatoes, blended until smooth (or crushed tomatoes)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Beef
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons garlic granules
- 2 teaspoons onion granules
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound of (mezza) rigatoni or penne or ziti
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot set on medium heat, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Remove the sausages from their casings and sauté while breaking up the meat. A meat chopper works great for this. Add the ground beef and continue to cook the meats while breaking up the pieces, about 10 minutes until the meat is cooked through.
- In a food processor, chop the carrots, onion and fresh garlic until they are chopped into finely small pieces. Add the vegetables to the meat and sauté them together for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- In a blender, add the whole peeled tomatoes and blend until smooth. Pour the tomato sauce onto the meat and vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Add the sugar, salt, bouillon, soy sauce, garlic granules, onion granules, tomato paste and heavy cream. Stir to combine and turn the heat down to low when it starts to simmer.
- Cook the pasta for about 3 to 4 minutes less than instructed on the package. The instructions on my pasta says to cook for 12 minutes so I cooked for 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and add the pasta back into the empty pot it was cooking in. Add about 3 cups of meat sauce to the pasta and mix it well until all the pasta is coated in sauce.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, sour cream and parmesan. Mix until combined and add this mixture to the pasta. Stir to combine.
- In a 9 x 13 baking dish, spoon in about 1 cup of meat sauce. Spread that evenly across the bottom of the baking dish. Add half of the pasta mixture over the sauce in the baking dish and spread that evenly on the dish. Sprinkle half the shredded mozzarella over the pasta. Using half of what is remaining of the meat sauce, evenly spread that over the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the remainder the pasta and spread that into an even layer of the meat sauce. Sprinkle with the remainder of the mozzarella cheese. Spread the rest of the meat sauce on top to make the last layer. You can make stripes here for visual interest or spread it evenly over the entire dish.
- Cover the baking dish in aluminum foil. Bake in a 350°F preheated oven for 50 minutes. Remove the foil after 40 minutes and bake uncovered for the last 10 minutes. After taking it out of the oven, let the pasta rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pasta can be assembled (to step 7) and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. Remove the pasta from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking. Also add 10 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ~2 cups
- Calories: 647 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1175 mg
- Fat: 37.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 17.1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 33.5 g
- Fiber: 2.5 g
- Protein: 32.3 g
- Cholesterol: 112 mg
❓ FAQ’s For Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Absolutely! Assemble the entire dish, cover it tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. Just add a few extra minutes in the oven since you’re starting cold.
Yes — it’s a freezer champion. Assemble (unbaked), wrap well, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking, or bake from frozen with extra time and a foil cover.
It’s the secret umami booster! Soy sauce deepens the savory flavor without making it taste like soy sauce — it just makes everything taste more.
Definitely. Use all Italian sausage for extra spice, all ground beef for a milder flavor, or keep the dynamic duo for the best of both worlds.
Any short, sturdy pasta with ridges or tubes works great — penne, rigatoni, or mostaccioli are all excellent stand-ins.
Sure! Swap the meat for sautéed mushrooms or a plant-based crumble, and use vegetable bouillon instead of beef.
Cottage cheese is a popular swap and works beautifully — blend it for a smoother texture if you prefer.
Nope! You can go all-sausage for a more pronounced Italian flavor, or all ground beef if that’s what you’ve got. Either way it’ll be delicious.
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