Baked Ziti
Italian-American baked pasta — ziti tubes in marinara and ricotta, baked under a layer of melted mozzarella until golden and bubbly. The crowd-pleaser that feeds a family or a party. Best when slightly overcooked at the edges for crispy bits.
Prep Time
13 min
Cook Time
30 min
Servings
6
Calories
314 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Pasta300 g
- Cheese1 ½ cup
- Tomato Sauce1 ½ cup
- Olive Oil3 tbsp
- Garlic4 ½ cloves
- Parmesan Cheese¾ cup
- Basil1 ½
- Black Pepper¾ tsp
- Salt1 ½ tsp
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Pasta300 g
- Cheese1.5 cup
- Tomato Sauce1.5 cup
- Olive Oil3 tbsp
- Garlic4.5 cloves
- Parmesan Cheese0.75 cup
- Basil1.5
- Black Pepper0.75 tsp
- Salt1.5 tsp
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 1 lb of ziti or penne for 3 minutes less than the package time — it'll finish in the oven.
- 2
Meanwhile, brown 1 lb of Italian sausage in a skillet, breaking it up. Drain excess fat. (Skip for vegetarian.)
- 3
Make the cheese mixture: in a large bowl, combine 2 cups of ricotta, 1 beaten egg, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- 4
In a 9×13 baking dish, mix the drained pasta with 3 cups of marinara sauce and the cooked sausage. Add half of the ricotta mixture (in dollops, then stir slightly so it's distributed but still in pockets).
- 5
Top with the remaining ricotta mixture (also in dollops) and 3 cups of shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle with ½ cup more Parmesan.
- 6
Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown with crispy edges. Rest 10 minutes before serving — the casserole is volcanic right out of the oven. Top with fresh basil.
Watch how to make Baked Ziti
Plays the exact recipe video right here — no need to leave the page.
💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Undercook the pasta. It finishes in the oven. Fully cooked = mushy ziti.
- 2.Don't fully stir the ricotta. Pockets of ricotta throughout (rather than uniform mix) create the textural variety that defines great baked ziti.
- 3.Cover then uncover. The 20 covered minutes heat everything through; the 15-20 uncovered minutes brown the cheese top.
- 4.Rest before serving. Hot baked ziti is too volcanic to eat. 10 minutes lets it set into sliceable portions.
🔬 Why It Works
Baked ziti is a one-dish meal that delivers multiple textures and flavors: tender pasta, savory sausage, creamy ricotta pockets, melted mozzarella, crispy edges. The two-stage bake (covered then uncovered) ensures both even heating and a properly browned surface. The 'don't fully stir the ricotta' technique creates pockets of cheese that make every bite interesting, rather than uniform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead?▾
Vegetarian version?▾
Best marinara?▾
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?▾
4.2
535 home cooks rated this
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Related Recipes
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Veggie Wrap
Chicken Caesar Salad
Beef Burger
Margherita Pizza
