Added 2 jars of pasta sauce and let simmer for 15 mins. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. But switching up your side dishes can bring a refreshing change to a classic comfort food dish. I'm planning to use the same combo instead of ricotta in my next lasagna. this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. I like ricotta as much as the next Italian-American, but the stuff is pretty dry and really adds no flavor. 2 (24 ounce) jars prepared marinara sauce, 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes, 1 teaspoon chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, or to taste. Seasoned the meat with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and Mrs Dash. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Definitely do skim off the grease from the sauce before tossing in the pasta. Try RICOTTA CHEESE instead of sour cream and skip the provolone for a real Italian version of Baked Ziti. It still came out great, but it was difficult to spread the sour cream. Every person that I know who knows anything about cooking KNOWS to cover up whatever it is that they are baking so it won't dry up. Oh yeah.......keep in mind that this meal does make a huge dish so you might want to have a smaller baking dish on the side for any extra that doesn't fit in the first one. In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Not good, and certainly not "Hall of Fame" worthy. Definitely use 2 jars of sauce, it sounds like a lot but other wise the Ziti will be dry. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl. Thanks Colleen for a great recipe! If you like your meals cheesier, meatier or saucier, than you can add a little more, but that's strictly on your preference. I wasn't able to find any sliced provolone cheese so I substituted it w/ a shredded cheese w/ provolone in it. Thanks, Colleen! Now that I got that off my chest, I just want to say that this is definitely "HALL OF FAME" material. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Now it is the favorite of all my dinner guests. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Delicious and great make-ahead recipe for entertaining. Remove and discard casings. Made it exactly like Chef John did except that I made my own marinara sauce for it. Layer sauce first (so you don't need to butter the pan), then ziti/cheese, mozzarella, sprinkle with parm and a little dried oregano or basil, then repeat layers. All rights reserved. Instead of greasing the pan (I used a Pyrex dish) with butter, I sprayed a light coating of Pam; the pan was a breeze to clean afterward. Ingredients. It was perfect Step 3. Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Hopefully I make up for that long wait by posting what I think is the best version of it. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Information is not currently available for this nutrient. Two 14.5-ounce cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce, One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus more for sprinkling, Sign up for the Recipe of the Day Newsletter Privacy Policy, Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cheese Grits. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down. Since I wasn't sure if doing so would make the pasta too soft, I shaved a minute off of the suggested pasta boiling time.