The secret to million dollar anything (million dollar spaghetti, million dollar ravioli, etc.) is that it employs cream cheese to create an especially decadent, creamy dish. This is exactly what is happening with our Million Dollar Baked Ziti. It has all of the lovely qualities of a conventional baked ziti, but it also adds an irresistible creamy layer to the mix. What about the bonus? It’s as simple to produce as the original.We’ll start with a fast, beefy tomato sauce.

Can you use canned marinara? Sure. However, this sauce is quick and simple to make, and the flavor is fantastic. Simply cook some Italian sausage, then stir in some garlic, oregano, basil, chopped tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and let it simmer for approximately ten minutes.Add some sugar and fresh basil, and you’ll have a sauce that no packaged version can compete with.

What makes this a “million dollar” ziti is that you combine some of the sauce with cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, and a couple of eggs to bind everything together.Cottage cheese and sour cream may appear weird in an Italian bake, but when combined with cream cheese, they behave similarly to ricotta and mascarpone, giving this dish a rich and creamy texture with a hint of tang.Our Million Dollar Baked Ziti remains the same—it’s simply more of it. It’s the same crowd-pleasing pasta bake you know and love, but it’s even more exceptional!