Baked Ziti

Baked ziti is the coziest casserole-style pasta: bubbling sauce, stretchy mozzarella, and those crispy golden edges everyone fights over. ♡

It’s the kind of dinner that feels like you did the most, even though it’s basically: boil pasta, stir together a quick cheesy layer, bake until melty. The secret to baked ziti that isn’t dry is simple—slightly undercook the pasta, and don’t be shy with sauce.

This is my classic, crowd-pleasing version with ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. You can keep it meatless, add Italian sausage, or sneak in spinach if you’re feeling virtuous. Either way,

let’s make it together.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti (or penne)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small onion, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced

• 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef (optional)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups homemade)

• 1/2 cup water or chicken broth (to loosen sauce)

• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese layer

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil (optional)

For baking

• cooking spray or a little butter for the dish

Tips

• Undercook the pasta by 2 minutes. It finishes in the oven and stays perfectly tender.

• Loosen the sauce with water or broth. It keeps the baked ziti saucy, not stiff.

• Mix some mozzarella into the ricotta layer. It melts into little pockets and makes it extra cozy.

• Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing. It sets up so you get clean scoops.

• Cover first, then uncover. Foil helps it heat through; uncovered time gives you that golden cheesy top.

Variations

• Add veggies: stir in sautéed mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, or roasted peppers.

• Make it spicy: use hot Italian sausage and add extra red pepper flakes.

• Make it creamy: swap 1/2 cup marinara for heavy cream or add 4 ounces cream cheese to the ricotta mix.

• Make it ahead: assemble, cover, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake.

• Freezer friendly: freeze unbaked (tightly wrapped) up to 3 months.

FAQ

Baked Ziti

Classic baked ziti with a rich marinara sauce, creamy ricotta layer, and lots of melty mozzarella, baked until bubbly and golden.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ziti (or penne)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef (optional)
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups)
• 1/2 cup water or chicken broth
• fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cheese layer

• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley or basil (optional)

Method

 

1. Prep. Heat oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ziti 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain.
3. Make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

   If using sausage/beef: add it and cook until browned, breaking it up. Drain excess fat if needed.

   Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, marinara, and water/broth. Simmer 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
4. Mix cheese layer. In a bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, and herbs if using.
5. Assemble. Add half of the pasta to the baking dish. Spoon on half of the sauce. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture and gently spread. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauce, and ricotta mixture. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and a little extra Parmesan.
6. Bake. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until bubbly and golden.
7. Rest and serve. Let rest 10 minutes, then scoop and serve.

Notes

• If your marinara is thick, don’t skip the water/broth—baked pasta absorbs sauce as it bakes.
• For extra browning, broil 1 to 2 minutes at the end (watch closely).
• Best stored in the fridge up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of water or sauce to bring it back to life.

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