Baked Macaroni Delight Recipe

Ingredients for Baked Macaroni Delight

• Sweet Italian Sausage Link
• Ziti Pasta
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese
• Pasta Sauce

How to Make Baked Macaroni Delight

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Brown 1 lb Italian sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until tender. Drain off excess grease, let cool slightly, and crumble coarsely.
3. Cook 1 lb elbow macaroni according to package directions, but reduce cooking time by 2 minutes. This ensures the pasta doesn't become mushy in the baking process.
4. Drain the pasta and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again.
5. In a large bowl, combine the crumbled sausage, 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, and 1/2 cup pasta sauce. Mix well.
6. Add the cooked pasta to the sausage and cheese mixture and stir gently to combine.
7. Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce (about 1/2 cup) in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
8. Add one-third of the pasta mixture to the baking dish, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.
9. Repeat layers twice more, ending with the remaining pasta mixture, the remaining mozzarella cheese (about 3/4 cup), and the remaining Parmesan/Romano cheese.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned.