Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is a cheesy pasta casserole with marinara, ricotta and mozzarella, baked until the edges bubble and the top turns golden brown.
Baked ziti is pasta, tomato sauce and cheese baked in one dish until the top turns golden and the edges bubble. That is the whole idea. It feeds six people for about the price of one takeout order.
The trick is undercooking the pasta by two minutes and mixing some of the mozzarella into the ricotta instead of saving all of it for the top. Do that and you get cheese in every bite, not just a lid of it. Skip it and you get dry noodles under a rubbery sheet.
You can build the whole thing in the morning, park it in the fridge, and slide it into the oven when people start asking what smells good. From my table to yours.
About the Ingredients
1 pound (450 g) ziti or penne
Ziti is a smooth tube and holds sauce well. Penne works the same way, and rigatoni is fine if that is what is in the cupboard.
1 pound (450 g) ground beef, or 1 pound Italian sausage with the casings removed
Sausage gives more flavor for the same money. For a meatless pan, use 2 cups of chopped mushrooms or a second jar of sauce.
24 ounces (680 g) marinara sauce, about 2 1/2 cups
A jar you already like is the right call here. If your sauce tastes sweet, add a teaspoon of red wine vinegar to wake it up.
15 ounces (425 g) whole-milk ricotta
Whole milk ricotta is creamier. Part-skim works but turns a little grainy, so stir in a spoon of olive oil if that is all you have.
2 cups (225 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
Buy a block and shred it yourself if you can. Pre-shredded mozzarella has starch on it and melts less smoothly.
1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan, divided
Pecorino is sharper and saltier, so use a little less. Skip the shaker can if you can afford the real thing.
1 large egg
The egg binds the ricotta so it sets instead of running. Leave it out and expect a looser, wetter center.
2 cloves garlic, minced, plus 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt
Dried oregano is the one herb this dish really wants. Crush it between your fingers first and it smells like twice as much.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven and boil water
Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. You want it tasting like the sea, because this is the only chance the pasta gets to season itself.
2. Brown the meat
Cook the beef or sausage in a wide skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up as it goes, until no pink is left. Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 30 seconds, just until it smells good.
3. Build the sauce
Pour in the marinara and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take it off the heat. It should look slightly thicker than when it went in.
4. Boil the pasta short
Cook the ziti for 2 minutes less than the box says, then drain. It will still be firm in the middle. That is what you want.
5. Mix the cheese filling
Stir the ricotta, egg, 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan together in a bowl. It should look like thick cottage cheese, not soup.
6. Combine everything
Toss the drained pasta with the meat sauce in the pot, then fold in the ricotta mixture. Stop while you can still see streaks of white. Overmixing turns the whole thing pink.
7. Layer and top
Spread it into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover tightly with foil.
8. Bake, then brown
Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the top is golden brown in spots. If the middle reads 165 F (74 C) on a thermometer, it is done. Rest 5 minutes and serve.
Delicious Variations
Meatless mushroom ziti
swap the beef for 3 cups of sliced cremini mushrooms browned in olive oil, and add a second jar of sauce so it does not dry out.
Sausage and spinach
use hot Italian sausage and stir 5 ounces of thawed, squeezed-dry spinach into the ricotta. Squeeze it hard or the dish gets watery.
Kid-friendly no-ricotta version
skip the ricotta entirely and use 3 cups of mozzarella, layered half in the middle and half on top. It tastes like a baked pasta pizza and picky eaters clean the plate.
Pro Tips
How to Store Baked Ziti
Refrigerator
Cover the dish or transfer to containers and keep it up to 4 days. It actually tastes better on day two once the sauce settles into the pasta.
Freezer
Freeze baked or unbaked for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly, and thaw overnight in the fridge before baking so the middle heats through.
Reheating
Reheat covered at 350 F (175 C) for 20 minutes, or one portion in the microwave for 2 minutes with a splash of water. A dry oven reheat toughens the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I cover baked ziti with foil when baking?
Yes, for the first 20 minutes. Covering traps steam so the pasta cooks through and the cheese melts evenly, then you uncover for the last 15 to 20 minutes to brown the top. Skip the covered stage and the top burns before the middle is hot.
Q: Why did my baked ziti come out dry?
Usually because the pasta was boiled fully before baking and there was not enough sauce. Cook the ziti 2 minutes short of the box time and use at least 2 1/2 cups of sauce so the noodles have something to absorb. A dry ricotta also pulls moisture out, so strain it if it looks watery.
Q: Can I make baked ziti ahead of time?
You can assemble it up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time since it starts cold. You can also freeze it unbaked for up to 3 months and thaw it overnight before baking.
Q: What is the difference between baked ziti and lasagna?
Baked ziti uses loose tube pasta stirred together with sauce and cheese, while lasagna is built in flat sheets with distinct layers. Ziti is faster to assemble and easier to serve, and you do not have to worry about noodles tearing.
Q: Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
Yes, and plenty of families do. Blend it for 10 seconds first so the curds smooth out, and drain off any liquid on top. It is tangier and a little looser than ricotta, but it works fine in the same amount.
Put this baked ziti on the table with garlic bread and a plain green salad, and dinner is handled. If you make it, come back and tell me whether your family fought over the corner pieces like mine do. From my table to yours.
Easy Baked Ziti – Cheesy Family Casserole
Baked ziti is a cheesy pasta casserole with marinara, ricotta and mozzarella, baked until the edges bubble and the top turns golden brown.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) ziti or penne
- 1 pound (450 g) ground beef, or 1 pound Italian sausage with the casings removed
- 24 ounces (680 g) marinara sauce, about 2 1/2 cups
- 15 ounces (425 g) whole-milk ricotta
- 2 cups (225 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella, divided
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced, plus 1 teaspoon dried oregano and 1/2 teaspoon salt
📋 Instructions
- 1Heat the oven and boil water — Heat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. You want it tasting like the sea, because this is the only chance the pasta gets to season itself.
- 2Brown the meat — Cook the beef or sausage in a wide skillet over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up as it goes, until no pink is left. Add the garlic and oregano and stir for 30 seconds, just until it smells good.
- 3Build the sauce — Pour in the marinara and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then take it off the heat. It should look slightly thicker than when it went in.
- 4Boil the pasta short — Cook the ziti for 2 minutes less than the box says, then drain. It will still be firm in the middle. That is what you want.
- 5Mix the cheese filling — Stir the ricotta, egg, 1 cup of the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan together in a bowl. It should look like thick cottage cheese, not soup.
- 6Combine everything — Toss the drained pasta with the meat sauce in the pot, then fold in the ricotta mixture. Stop while you can still see streaks of white. Overmixing turns the whole thing pink.
- 7Layer and top — Spread it into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Scatter the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top. Cover tightly with foil.
- 8Bake, then brown — Bake covered for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the edges bubble and the top is golden brown in spots. If the middle reads 165 F (74 C) on a thermometer, it is done. Rest 5 minutes and serve.
