Why You’ll Love This Baked Ziti
You know, there’s something truly comforting about a dish that brings everyone to the table with eager anticipation. This Baked Ziti does just that—it’s warm, hearty, and unapologetically generous with the cheese. Imagine tender pasta enveloped in a rich meat sauce, layered with melty mozzarella, sharp Parmesan, and creamy ricotta. It’s the kind of meal that feels like a warm hug after a long day. But what really makes this recipe special is how effortlessly it fits into your life. Whether you’re looking to elevate a simple weeknight dinner or impress guests without the fuss, this dish has you covered. It’s straightforward yet indulgent, familiar yet exciting every single time. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 10 ounces of ziti pasta and cook until it’s al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Al dente means the pasta is cooked but still firm when bitten. This is important because it will continue cooking in the oven, and we don’t want it to become mushy. Once done, drain the pasta and set it aside. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté them for about 3 minutes until the onion becomes soft and translucent, and the garlic is fragrant. Add the 1 pound of extra lean ground beef to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Cook it for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns, until it’s no longer pink. Tip: Using extra lean beef reduces excess fat, so you won’t need to drain the grease. Season the meat with ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper, or adjust to your taste. Stir in 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute to let the herbs and spices release their aromas. Add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and the 24 ounces of passata to the skillet. Stir in 1 cup of low-sodium beef broth. Mix everything thoroughly and bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Tip: If you can’t find passata, crushed tomatoes or tomato purée work just as well. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the sauce cook for about 15 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the sauce to thicken slightly. While the sauce is simmering, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Add the cooked ziti pasta to the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. Spread half of the pasta and sauce mixture evenly over the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese (1 cup) and half of the grated Parmesan cheese (½ cup) over the pasta layer. Spread the remaining pasta and sauce mixture over the cheese layer. Dollop 1 cup of ricotta cheese over the top layer of pasta. Space the dollops evenly so every serving gets a taste of creamy ricotta. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and the other ½ cup of Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake it in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil (watch out for steam) and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese on top is bubbly and starting to turn golden brown. Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. This helps the dish set, making it easier to serve. If desired, garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves for a pop of color and freshness.
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title: “Baked Ziti” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-14” author: “Martha Mazzone”
Baked pasta is perfect as a special meal for a Sunday, it’s great for kids and adults alike, and it’s a handy meal-prep-idea as you can keep the leftovers for days. Check out our best pasta recipe collection!
Ingredients
Instructions
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It’s a staple in American-Italian cooking across the USA, and it’s a tasty, meaty, cheesy recipe that most people love. There are three main components to a great baked ziti recipe:
- Pasta: ideally, it should be a good-quality (Italian imported if you can) short tubular pasta such as ziti, penne, or rigatoni.2) Sauce: a simple tomato sauce often enriched with Italian sausage and ground meat, veggies, or other types of meat (yes, you can use plant-based meats).3) Cheese: mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese (you can use dairy-free or lactose-free cheese).
If there’s one thing you should take away from reading this baked ziti recipe is to “undercook the pasta by at least 3 minutes” so that when you bake it, it won’t turn into a mash. Long-shaped pasta noodles like spaghetti are not suitable for this recipe. You’ll need 1 gallon (about 4 liters) of water and 2 tablespoons (about 30 grams) of salt, to cook 1 pound (about 500 grams) of pasta. Tip: remember to undercook the pasta by at least 3 minutes.
Plant-based meat
Traditional baked ziti has a mix of Italian sausage and ground beef (and sometimes ground turkey or pork). However, if you are trying to reduce your meat consumption like us, you’ll be happy to know that you can easily substitute plant-based sausage and plant-based ground beef for animal-based ones. We made this recipe with plant-based meat, and the cooking process is the same as if you were to use real meat. Of course, they won’t taste the same, but the baked ziti is still delicious and an excellent alternative if you want to try it.
Onion and Garlic
To add flavor to the meat and the overall dish.
Cheese
Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and ricotta cheese are the holy trinity of Italian cheese in baked ziti. You can substitute their dairy-free alternatives if you want to make the recipe vegan.
Marinara sauce
Pick your favorite marinara at the grocery store, or make our quick and easy marinara sauce with olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, whole peeled tomatoes, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, and basil. Homemade sauce is unbeatable.
Herbs
Fresh basil is the best fresh herb for baked ziti because it’s a perfect flavor match with the tomato sauce and the cheeses. You can substitute chopped parsley for the basil. Optionally, you can add a sprinkle of Italian seasoning to the tomato sauce to make it tastier. Of course, this depends on how well-seasoned your marinara sauce is.
Salt and pepper
We recommend sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you like a spicy baked ziti recipe, you can add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Add the (plant-based) sausage and the ground plant meat to the pan, break lumps up with a fork, and brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped onion, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the meat mixture and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now, pour in the marinara sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, stir in the basil, then taste and adjust for salt. Important: set aside 3 cups of sauce in a bowl, and keep the remaining sauce in the skillet! You’ll need 1 cup of sauce for the bottom of the baking dish and 2 cups on top of the pasta.
Step 2: Cook the pasta
Boil 1 pound of pasta in a large pot of salted water. Cooking time should be as instructed on the package minus 3 minutes. Set a timer. Note: If the package says 10 minutes, cook the pasta for 7. That’s because we want the pasta much harder than “al dente” since we finish cooking it in the oven. Tip: you’ll need 1 gallon of boiling water with 2 tablespoons of salt to cook 1 pound of pasta to perfection. Reserve one cup of pasta water, drain the pasta, and toss it in the sauce until thoroughly coated (off the heat).
Step 3: Build the dish
Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C. Cover the bottom of the baking dish or casserole with 1 cup of reserved tomato sauce. Then add 6 dollops of ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup of ricotta). Add in the pasta and arrange it evenly across the baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of reserved pasta water. Tip: the pasta water will ensure your baked ziti won’t dry up in the oven. Cover with the reserved 2 cups of tomato sauce, then with the remaining ricotta, grated parmesan, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350°F or 180°C for 20 minutes, or until the cheese melts and browns. Let sit out of the oven for 10 minutes before portioning it and serving it.
Raw and fresh zucchini saladRoasted broccoli with garlic and lemon marinadeRainbow roasted vegetablesBaked asparagus: perfectly tender and crispSteamed artichokes with lemon and fresh herbsEasy side salad ready in 5 minutes, a perfect palate cleanser!
Storage
Refrigerator: once cooked, store leftovers in the fridge still in the casserole, covered with foil, for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
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Freezer: assemble the dish, let it cool down, and freeze it before baking. It keeps in the freezer for three months. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350°F or 180°C.
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