Baked Ziti Recipe

Preheat & par-cook pasta

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon salt, then add ziti and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes (it will finish cooking in the oven). Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain and toss the pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent sticking.

Combine pasta with sauce components: In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained ziti, 3/4 of the grated mozzarella, 3/4 of the grated pecorino/parmesan, and the spinach-sausage-shrimp mixture (prepared in other sections). Add fresh cream and toss gently to combine; if sauce seems thick, add up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to loosen. Season with 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and adjust salt to taste.

Assemble in baking dish: Lightly oil a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Transfer the tossed ziti into the dish, spread evenly, and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan over the top. Drizzle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Bake: Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10–12 minutes until bubbly and cheese is golden. If you want a more browned crust, finish under broiler 1–2 minutes while watching closely.

Rest & serve: Let the baked ziti rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with torn basil and extra grated cheese if using.

Cook sausage: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the crumbled sausage (no extra oil if sausages are fatty). Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked sausage to a plate, leaving rendered fat in the pan. If pan is dry, add 1 teaspoon olive oil.

Sauté aromatics: Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped shallot to the skillet and sauté 2–3 minutes until softened. Add 2 minced garlic cloves and red pepper flakes and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Cook shrimp: Push aromatics to the side, increase heat slightly, add shrimp in a single layer, season lightly with salt and lemon zest, and cook 1.5–2 minutes per side until pink and opaque. Remove shrimp to the plate with sausage and set aside. Keep juices in the pan for deglazing into the spinach sauce.

Return sausage and shrimp: Once the spinach sauce is prepared (next section), stir the reserved cooked sausage and shrimp into the sauce gently to warm through before combining with pasta.

Wilt spinach: In a separate large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and when melted add the fresh baby spinach in batches, tossing until wilted (about 2–3 minutes). Add remaining 2 minced garlic cloves while spinach wilts. Transfer wilted spinach to a blender or food processor and pulse briefly until mostly smooth but still slightly textured. Alternatively chop finely with a knife.

Make béchamel base: In the now-empty skillet melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in 1 tablespoon flour and cook 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in 1 cup milk and 1 cup stock, scraping up any browned bits from the sausage/shrimp pan if desired to add flavor. Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking until thickened, about 3–4 minutes.

Finish sauce: Stir the pureed/chopped spinach into the béchamel. Add 1 cup fresh cream, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and the reserved cooking juices from the sausage/shrimp pan (about 1–2 tablespoons) for extra flavor. Simmer gently 2–3 minutes to meld flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a pinch more red pepper flakes if desired.

Combine protein into sauce: Fold the cooked crumbled sausage and shrimp into the spinach cream sauce, stirring gently to coat and warm through. Remove from heat.

Finish and serve: After the baked ziti rests 5 minutes, sprinkle torn basil over the top and add any extra grated cheese. Serve hot.