Meaty Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 cans tomato sauce , 14.5 ounce
• 1 can whole peeled tomatoes with juice , 28 ounce
• 0.5 cups diced white onion
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 0.5 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1 package ziti pasta , 16 ounce
• 1 container whole-milk ricotta cheese , 15 ounce
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
• 0.5 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg , beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf , Italian
• 0.5 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 12 slices provolone cheese

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the heat. Transfer 3 cups sauce to a bowl and leave remaining sauce in the pot; allow to cool while you prepare ziti.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

3. 3

   Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain ziti and rinse under cool water to stop it from cooking.

4. 4

   Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 2 tablespoon parsley, and pepper in a bowl; stir together with a few turns but do not mix completely. Pour drained ziti into the bowl and toss until slightly combined with large lumps. Add the reserved 3 cups meat sauce and toss to combine.

5. 5

   Place 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over top, layer with 6 slices of provolone and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers: pasta mixture, remaining sauce, 6 slices provolone, and 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil.

6. 6

   Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is fully melted and slightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.