Million Dollar Baked Ziti is a classic comfort food that is perfect for family dinners or potluck gatherings. This delicious pasta dish is made with ziti, mild Italian sausage, tomato sauce, and a creamy cheese mixture. The blend of flavors and textures makes it a crowd-pleaser and a dish that everyone will love. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make the ultimate Million Dollar Baked Ziti that will have your family and friends begging for seconds!
Million Dollar Baked Ziti is one of my family’s favorite dishes. It has become a staple in our household, and we love making it for family dinners or when we have guests over. My husband, who is not a big fan of pasta, fell in love with this dish the first time he tried it. He loves the combination of the spicy Italian sausage and the creamy cheese mixture. Every time I make this dish, my husband raves about it and says that it’s one of the best pasta dishes he’s ever had. It’s safe to say that Million Dollar Baked Ziti is a hit in our home!
Why This Recipe Rocks:
- Made with mild Italian sausage for a flavorful kick
- The tomato sauce is made from scratch, which adds an authentic Italian taste to the dish
- The creamy cheese mixture is made with cream cheese, cottage cheese, and sour cream, which makes it rich and velvety
- The pasta is cooked al dente, which gives it a perfect texture
- Topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and cubed mozzarella cheese, which adds a beautiful layer of melted cheese on top
- Can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen for later use
- Great for feeding a crowd and perfect for potluck gatherings
Ingredients:
- 1 lb (454 g) ziti
- 1 lb (454 g) mild Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh basil, chopped
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- 16 oz (454 g) cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and divided
- 2 cups (225 g) mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes and divided
- Fresh basil, chopped, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
To prepare the dish, start by preheating your oven to 375°F and greasing a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Then, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. Drain the pasta and toss it with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.
In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until it’s no longer pink, which should take around 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat, if necessary. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in some oregano and basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Next, pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, and lower the heat to medium. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, remove the skillet from heat and stir in some sugar and fresh basil. Set it aside.
In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth. Then, add in the eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream, and mix everything together until well combined. Stir in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Add 1 cup of the red sauce and the drained pasta to the cottage cheese mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Transfer this mixture to your prepared baking dish. Top it off with the remaining red sauce, followed by the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
Cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then, uncover the dish and bake for an additional 25 minutes. If desired, broil the dish for 1 to 2 minutes to further brown the cheese.
Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top it with some chopped basil and enjoy!
Million Dollar Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb 454 g ziti
- 1 lb 454 g mild Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 28 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup 120 ml fresh basil, chopped
- 8 oz 227 g cream cheese, softened
- 16 oz 454 g cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup 120 ml sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups 180 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated and divided
- 2 cups 225 g mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes and divided
- Fresh basil chopped, for serving
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the dish, start by preheating your oven to 375°F and greasing a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Then, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package instructions suggest. Drain the pasta and toss it with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Set it aside.
- In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink, which should take around 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat, if necessary. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Sprinkle in some oregano and basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Next, pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, and lower the heat to medium. Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, remove the skillet from heat and stir in some sugar and fresh basil. Set it aside.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the cream cheese until it's smooth. Then, add in the eggs, cottage cheese, and sour cream, and mix everything together until well combined. Stir in 1 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Add 1 cup of the red sauce and the drained pasta to the cottage cheese mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Transfer this mixture to your prepared baking dish. Top it off with the remaining red sauce, followed by the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then, uncover the dish and bake for an additional 25 minutes. If desired, broil the dish for 1 to 2 minutes to further brown the cheese.
- Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving. Top it with some chopped basil and enjoy!