Baked Ziti is an easy cheesy pasta dish made with ziti noodles layered and baked in a hearty meat sauce and gooey cheese mixture. Delicious with or without meat, learn how to make this irresistible Baked Ziti Recipe and enjoy this comforting dinner with friends, family, or all to yourself.

Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

This is the absolute BEST baked ziti recipe. Similar to lasagna (but better!) the secret to this classic baked pasta dish? A quick and easy homemade pasta sauce and layers of creamy ricotta with mascarpone.

An ideal weeknight dinner or dish worthy of a crowd, this comforting baked ziti recipe is easy to make-ahead and freezer-friendly.

What is baked ziti?

Baked ziti is a baked pasta casserole dish made with ziti pasta noodles. Similar to lasagna, baked ziti uses ziti pasta rather than long sheets of flat lasagna noodles. As with lasagna, baked ziti has layers of sauce, cheese, and pasta and can be made with or without meat.

A classic Italian-American baked pasta, the noodles are first boiled separately until al dente as the ground sausage and tomato sauce is prepared. In this recipe, I made a homemade sauce from onions, crushed tomatoes, green bell pepper, and mushrooms.

Once layered, the noodles are topped with shredded mozzarella and parmesan and baked until golden and bubbly.

Ingredients in Baked Ziti

The best part about baked ziti is that it is completely customizable. You may use different pasta noodles (penne is a great substitute), skip the meat, and save time by using only pre-made marinara sauce if you’re short on time.

You’ll notice that I did a combination of both – I made my own homemade sauce and included a jar of store-bought marinara sauce. I did this on purpose. Why? I wanted a slightly chunkier sauce with some hidden veggies.

And let me tell you- these veggies were very hidden! I couldn’t tell there was a single mushroom or sliver of bell pepper in there. And when you are feeding small children who hate all vegetables, the extra work is worth it.

You may do one of three things– double the recipe for homemade sauce (if you want more veggies and an all-around chunkier sauce), follow the recipe as written, or use two jars of your favorite store-bought pasta sauce. All solid options.

Italian Sausage – The sausage is, in my opinion, a huge deal. Turkey or pork, as long as it’s Italian sausage (sweet, spicy, mild), make sure to add it. It adds tons of amazing flavor. Vegetarian? That’s cool too. Simply omit the sausage. You may, however, want to add an extra teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning to help punch up the flavor.
Onion and Bell pepper – The base of your delicious homemade sauce. Sauteed slow and low until soft and caramelized, you won’t really notice either of these flavors individually once the sauce is made. The flavor they provide, however, is irreplaceable.
Italian seasoning – Aside from a little salt and pepper, Italian seasoning is all you need to make this recipe. Of course, if you prefer a spicier sauce, simply add a pinch (or two) of red pepper flakes or cayenne.
Mushrooms – Mushrooms are often added to baked ziti recipes. Since I knew my son would pick them out unless they were blended with the sauce, that’s exactly what I did. Just like the onion and bell pepper, once blended into a chunky sauce, you can’t even tell there are any mushrooms in there!
Garlic – We are making a pasta dish, right? Must have fresh garlic. Please.
Crushed tomatoes – You will need a large can of crushed tomatoes to finish your homemade sauce. I like to buy canned tomatoes that are unseasoned and not roasted, this way I can add additional salt and pepper to taste.
Marinara sauce – Depending on how saucy you like your noodles you may use either a 16-24 ounce jar of pasta sauce.
Ziti pasta – A type of extruded pasta, ziti is smaller than rigatoni but larger than mezzani. Quite similar to penne except that it has ends cut in a straight line versus diagonally.
Cheese (mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone, and Parmesan) – I added four different kinds of cheese to this dish. Aside from a thick bubbly top layer of mozzarella, the remaining cheeses are mixed into a thick paste-like mixture. The ricotta is creamy, the mascarpone is heavy and rich (which is why you’ll use less overall), the Parmesan contributes that distinct salty flavor and the mozzarella is what ties them all together.

What pasta is most like ziti?

Ziti, a tubular-shaped pasta noodle, is smaller than rigatoni but larger than mezzani and may come with either smooth or ridged (rigati) sides.

The most similar pasta to ziti is penne. Penne, usually somewhat narrower toward the ends and cut diagonally rather than straight. Rigatoni, although larger, would also be a great alternative to ziti.

How to make baked ziti

At first, this baked ziti recipe may appear a daunting task. Broken down, however, it’s as simple as making a sauce, mixing some cheese, boiling some noodles, layering, and baking.

You can plan ahead by making the pasta sauce ahead of time, or, keep things super simple and go all-in with your favorite store-bought pasta sauce.

Cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the Ziti according to package instructions until not quite al dente (aka, undercooked). Drain and rinse under cool water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Cook the sausage. As the noodles are cooking, cook the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large saucepot over high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking apart with a spatula or wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove sausage to a clean plate and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent. Add the bell pepper, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and mix well to combine. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until green bell peppers have softened, approximately 5 minutes more. Stir in the sliced mushrooms and minced garlic, mixing well to combine. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are cooked and start to release water. Add the crushed tomatoes and mix just to combine.
- This is your homemade sauce! Right now it probably looks super chunky. To make it more sauce-like, we’re going to blend it in a blender or food processor until desired texture and consistency is reached.
Blend. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the bowl of a food processor or blender and pulse/blend until desired consistency is reached. I didn’t want a completely smooth sauce, but I also wanted to be sneaky with the vegetables in the hope that my son would eat it (he did!) Go with what works for you and your family.
Mix the sauce and sausage together. Transfer the cooked sausage, blended sauce, and marinara sauce back to the pot over medium heat and mix well to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and spray a large casserole or baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare the Mozzarella and Ricotta mixture. In a medium bowl mix together half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Mascarpone cheese, and shredded Parmesan cheese.
Layer. Grab your prepared baking dish. Add a thin layer of the sausage and tomato sauce followed by half of the cooked and drained Ziti. Directly on top of the noodles, top with half of the cheese mixture, using your hands or a spoon, if needed, to spread evenly over the top of the noodles (some people like to drop large spoon fulls without spreading it, but I prefer to get cheese with every bite). Top with half of the remaining sausage and tomato sauce, followed by the remaining noodles. Finally, top the noodles with the remaining sausage and tomato sauce followed by the ricotta cheese mixture and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake. Transfer to the oven and bake until hot, bubbly, and cheese is golden – approximately 25 minutes.
Serve. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with fresh chopped Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.

Tips and Tricks

Can you make Baked Ziti ahead?

Yes! This is an excellent dish to prepare ahead of time or make in bulk.

The easiest way to do so is to prepare your baked ziti all the way through step number 8 as outlined above. Rather than sticking your baking dish in the oven to bake, you’ll cover with foil or plastic wrap, and transfer to the refrigerator or freeze until ready to bake.

When baking from frozen, cooking time will be higher. I recommend tenting your casserole dish with foil for the first 30-40 minutes, uncovering, and baking for an additional 20 minutes or so.

Should I cook the pasta ahead?

Yes. You absolutely want to cook the pasta ahead. However, to prevent soggy noodles, avoid overcooking your noodles. I usually cook my noodles 1-2 minutes less than the recommended time for al dente pasta.

Pre-cooking ensures that you end up with soft noodles, but also ensures that you’re not cooking them in their starch (which typically results in mushy, soggy, unappealing pasta).

Should I cover baked ziti in the oven?

Few things are better than golden baked cheese. Burnt cheese, on the other hand? Not so much. As such, here are a few tips:

If you prepared your ziti ahead of time and it’s cold, bake for 30 minutes tented in foil before removing and baking, uncovered, for an additional 15-20 minutes.
If the pasta and sauce were just made and are still hot, there is no need to cover. Simply bake until the cheese is melted, browning on top, and the sauce is starting to bubble up on the sides.
Or, you can tent your baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil, and broil the cheese for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese reaches desired bubbliness.

What to serve with baked ziti

Comforting, creamy, and super delicious, I like to serve this dish with a healthy side of vegetables to help balance the carbs and loads of cheese (although trust me, it’s worth every single delicious bite).

A few of my favorite go-to side dishes include this Tomato Basil Salad, Spinach Feta Salad, or this light and tangy Cucumber Salad Recipe.

If you’re not a fan of salads, roasted vegetables are always delicious paired alongside this easy baked ziti recipe. Roasted Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, and Asparagus are a few of my family’s favorites.

For more Italian recipes check out:

If you try making this Easy Baked Ziti Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.

Comments

Bonnie Mcglothlin says

August 15, 2021 at 9:38 pm

Can I make this with ground beef instead of Italian sausage? Btw the recipe looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it

- Jessica Randhawa says
  
  August 16, 2021 at 6:51 am
  
  Yes, you can use ground beef with the fat ratio of your choice Bonnie 🙂

Easy Baked Ziti Recipe (How to Make Baked Ziti)