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My Baked Ziti Recipe with sausage and peppers is an instant family-favorite! Loaded with Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and plenty of ooey, gooey cheese, this is an irresistible recipe for baked ziti perfect for a busy weeknight or a cozy weekend dinner.
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Baked Ziti Recipe
As a mother of 4 (and now a grandmother to 2!), I know the struggle of coming up with quick and easy dinners on the fly. Between school, work, and taking them to their after-school football practice and games, to say I was busy is an understatement!
That's what recipes like this ziti with sausage and peppers are all about. This is an easy cast iron skillet baked ziti - aside from cooking the pasta noodles, you can make it all in one pan using simple ingredients. It's easy and, best of all, it's super delicious.
Even picky eaters love this baked ziti with sausage and peppers, and with enough for 10 servings, you might just have leftovers to pack in a thermos for lunch the next day!
Baked Ziti Ingredients
- Ziti
- Unsalted butter
- Italian pork sausage - turkey sausage with the casing removed can also be used
- Salt
- Pepper
- Green bell pepper - or bell peppers of any color
- Red onion
- All-purpose flour - for gluten-free, use cornstarch or gluten-free flour
- Whole milk
- Cheddar cheese, shredded
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- Parsley, for garnish - optional
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Prepare ziti pasta according to the package directions to al dente. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.
- Add sausage. Cook until nicely browned, then remove from the skillet and set aside. Do not drain the fat.
- Add sliced green peppers and sliced onions to the sausage fat in the skillet and cook until tender, but not browned. If there isn't enough fat in the skillet, add additional butter as needed.
- Stir in flour until incorporated, then slowly add milk while stirring.
- Cook over medium-low heat while stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and add shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan.
- Stir through until melted. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to your preference.
- Add cooked ziti and sausage to the mixture and stir through.
- Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!
Baked Ziti Sausage Tips
- Start cooking the ziti first, and cook to al dente (just slightly undercooked).
- Use a large, oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. A casserole dish may also be used - cook in a skillet first, then add to the dish to bake.
- While the ziti cooks, brown the sausage at the same time. I recommend browning it in one piece initially to sear one side, then start crumbling it up with a spoon or spatula.
- Use the fat from the sausage to cook the onions and peppers for the best flavor. Don't drain the fat. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the skillet from the heat when adding the cheese.
If you love fast dinner recipes with sausage, you'll love my Smothered Sausage and Potatoes recipe! It's a one-pot dinner miracle!
How to Store Baked Ziti
Store baked ziti for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container, or freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe dish covered with plastic wrap and foil and labeled with the date.
How to Reheat Baked Ziti
To reheat from the refrigerator, add to the microwave or over the stove with a little bit of milk added gradually to make it creamier.
How to Reheat Frozen Baked Ziti
To reheat from frozen, remove the plastic and foil, then re-wrap with foil and add to the oven at 350ºF for about 50 minutes or until cooked through. No need to thaw beforehand.
Baked Ziti with Sausage FAQs
Baked ziti should not be covered when baking, unless you're reheating a frozen baked ziti. Covering the dish will dry it out.
Baked ziti takes 30-35 minutes to make when baking it in a skillet. Prepare all of the meat and sauce in the skillet first, then bake for 20 minutes.
Many baked ziti recipes contain ricotta cheese, but it is not necessary to make baked ziti with ricotta. For this skillet-baked ziti recipe, a mixture of parmesan and cheddar cheese is used for a creamy cheese sauce base mixed with peppers and onions.
Sausage Recipes
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- Sausage and Gravy
- Pink Pasta Sauce with Sausage
- Zuppa Toscana
- Sausage Stuffed Red Kuri Squash
Check out all my favorite Sunday Supper Recipes!
Baked Ziti with Sausage
Equipment
- Oven-proof Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ pound Italian Pork Sausage - turkey sausage with the casing removed can also be used
- salt and pepper - to taste
- 1 cup green bell pepper - cut into strips
- ⅓ cup red onion - sliced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2¼ cups whole milk
- 2 cups cheddar cheese - shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese - grated
- Parsley for garnish - optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Prepare ziti pasta according to the package directions to al dente. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter.1 pound ziti,1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- Add sausage. Cook until nicely browned, then remove from the skillet and set aside. Do not drain the fat.½ pound Italian Pork Sausage
- Add sliced green peppers and sliced onions to the sausage fat in the skillet and cook until tender, but not browned. If there isn’t enough fat in the skillet, add additional butter as needed.1 cup green bell pepper,⅓ cup red onion
- Stir in flour until incorporated, then slowly add milk while stirring.⅓ cup all-purpose flour,2¼ cups whole milk
- Cook over medium-low heat while stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and add shredded cheddar cheese and Parmesan.2 cups cheddar cheese,½ cup Parmesan cheese
- Stir through until melted. Taste, then season with salt and pepper to your preference.salt and pepper
- Add cooked ziti and sausage to the mixture and stir through.
- Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley, and enjoy!Parsley for garnish
Notes
- Start cooking the ziti first, and cook to al dente (just slightly undercooked).
- Use a large, oven-safe skillet, such as a cast iron skillet. A casserole dish may also be used - cook in a skillet first, then add to the dish to bake.
- While the ziti cooks, brown the sausage at the same time. I recommend browning it in one piece initially to sear one side, then start crumbling it up with a spoon or spatula.
- Use the fat from the sausage to cook the onions and peppers for the best flavor. Don't drain the fat. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the skillet from the heat when adding the cheese.
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