Baked Ziti With Sausage Meatballs and Spinach Recipe (2024)

This was great!! I would use a little more mozzarella and shingle it on top so every bit of the top is covered. I used 1 extra oz of spinach and of creme fraiche because that's what the packages came in. Tasted amazing!. Very easy to customize with different meatballs.

This was excellent. We substituted the spinach for some fresh chopped basil. We also added parm, an egg and Italian breadcrumbs to the mix when making the meat balls. Didn’t have creme fraiche so we used sour cream and it was great.

carefully arrange the top layer or so of noodles so as many ends as possible are sticking up, which maximizes crispy bits and happiness

I wasn't really a fan of this. I found the smashed tomatoes to be really off-putting and chunky (I've used kitchen shears and cut up tomatoes in the can and found that works better) and the sauce became very liquid-y for me. As trashy as it sounds, I almost feel shredded low-moisture mozzarella would be better here because almost 1 pound of torn chunks of mozz gets to be a bit inedible when there isn't enough of anything else to counteract it (at least for me). It also doesn't reheat well.

We just crumbled up the sausage and then made the sauce from there. Was delicious all over the place. Italian tomatoes make all the difference, as they fall apart readily. Also: buffalo mozzarella is wow! if you can find it.

Delicious. I followed the recipe except I added fresh basil and fresh oregano sprigs to the sauce at the same time the spinach was added, and I used chicken Italian sausage and rigatoni. I love the fresh basil and tomato flavors along with the little meatballs. Will definitely make again.

I like to use the uncased sausage meat because it often has less (or no) added preservatives.

I will never make another baked pasta recipe. This is comfort food at its best. The only change I made was to use crushed tomatoes versus whole. Actually one other tiny tweak. I threw in a chunk of Parmesan rind into the sauce as it simmered. I think it’s the creme fraiche that tips it over the edge. That little bit of tang is exactly what every baked pasta needed and didn’t know it. All the stars!!

Instead of the creme fraiche, I add 2 eggs and 1 half to 1 cup of mozzarella pieces. Adds body and moisture.

I bet Greek yogurt would work also.

Fabulous - will definitely be making this again. We used beef mince to make meatballs, and added some beef stock powder to boost the flavour of the sauce. Took the advice to poke bits of penne up above the surface so that there would be delicious crunchy bits - perfect. Added extra mozzarella on top as well. Loved by the whole family

This comes together quickly and easily, and was really comforting and delicious. Best part is the browned and crispy top! I’m not a huge fan of ricotta so I may try a bechamel next time.

I find it easier to start the whole sausages in the pan with a little water. Cover and "poach" just until the sausages firm up. Then slice them into pieces about as wide as they are thick and saute those instead. Not "balls", exactly, but just as delicious.

Wonderful recipe. Only change I made.........Oh Oh, here we go.......I broke up the whole tomatoes in a large bowl instead of after adding to the pot with the onions, garlic, etc.

Really good flavor, but texture was a bit soupy (did half recipe in a 9/9 pyrex). Next time I'll probably cut down on ricotta/creme fraiche to keep the sauce redder and more tomato-y and either just crumble sausage or add breadcrumbs etc. to make more like a meatball as these were rubbery as is. Cook the whole thing a tad longer (incl. in broiler) to get crispy texture.

Help! Is this 28oz total of tomato or 2 cans each of 28oz (equaling 56oz total)?

I will never make baked pasta without crème fraîche again!!

Very tasty recipe! I subbed the spinach for one bunch broccoli rabe which I first sautéed solo (with garlic/salt, lots of olive oil, half teaspoon sugar to help cut the bitterness). I also didn’t make meatballs, instead just got a ground sweet Italian sausage which distributed great in the tomato sauce. Married it all and it came out absolutely fantastic!

I made this last night and the dinner guests liked it. I hesitated on putting all the meatballs in the ziti, and held some out. That was my downfall. I browned them, then put them in the oven with the ziti. Unfortunately they didn't cook through and were "rare." Not a good thing for a meatball. I used the sliced mozzarella that Costco sells--I put the slices on top of the ziti. Next time I'll buy a block of mozzarella and shred it. The slices were gummy. Overall it was great for a crowd!

If you make it, I have some tips. 1. Literally only boil the pasta for like 6 minutes. It’s gonna be so undercooked it’s almost crunchy but otherwise it’ll over cook in the bake.2. I mixed one egg and a half cup of bread crumbs in the ground sausage for the meatballs to help them hold shape. 3. Get better fresh mozz. I got the cheaper stuff and you don’t even really need the full amount, and it would have been cool if it was softer.I also skipped the crème fraiche and it was fine.

Very good recipe both visually and of course the taste. I used a little more garlic, and may skip the meatball shape next time and opt to use two pounds of sausage with no casing broken into smaller pieces

Loved it! My 11-year-old daughter and I made this tonight. I made a sausage sauce from the ingredients instead of making meatballs, and I substituted sour cream for creme fraiche. I used cavatappi instead of ziti. Delicious and would be perfect for a crowd!

Substituted basil for spinach. Made the cheese mixture but only used half. Used turkey sausage and did not form it into meatballs. Also used shredded mozzarella. Did not mix the sauce with the cheese. Instead, mixed half the sauce into the pasta. Layered the sauced pasta, cheese mix, more sauce, pasta, a little more cheese, rest of sauce. Then sprinkled with 3/4 cup shredded mozz and a bunch of parm. Came out very good at 25 minutes. Served 6 teens, 2 adults w leftovers.

This is a rather easy recipe to follow, and prepare. I would say this takes more than two hours total, but I wasn’t in a rush. The blending of spinach and crème fraiche are key. Change things up as you feel or based on what’s in the pantry

Simple yet delicious. Great recipe for first timers.

I agree with others that mixing the ricotta etc. with the sauce makes a gloppy pink mess. I prefer to layer the ricotta layer in the middle of the two layers ziti. I also mix an egg with the ricotta to keep it together. It’s like a manicotti casserole and so yummy!

decreased the cheese and wish I didn't because it just wasn't enough gooeyness but three cheeses is just too much fat

I love this dish. It's on regular rotation in my kitchen. Super easy to make. Freezes and reheats well. Time saver.

My wife and I both liked this. It’s comforting, especially with the warm sourdough baguette along with red wine. Next time I’m going to double the spinach, reduce the ricotta and crème de fraiche by 1/4 . Further, I think it needs some basic spices. It was just a bit too juicy.

I made this and it was so darn fabulous! I wish I could upload a photo!!!