If you’re a fan of lasagna, then you’re going to love this baked ziti. It’s like a lazy day lasagna without the layering. Baked pasta dishes are one of my go-to meals as they’re the perfect midweek or weekend meal since you can either feed a crowd with it or save the leftovers for the rest of the week.
Even better, this baked ziti with sausage is make-ahead friendly. You can prepare the pasta bake in advance or freeze it for later. A crusty loaf of my French bread recipe or a simple side salad goes wonderfully with this oven-baked pasta, but it’s hearty enough to be served on its own for a simple meal.
Whether you’re making this easy ziti recipe for potlucks, family dinners, or dinner parties, it’s always a crowdpleaser. Try my creamy baked mac and cheese or chicken spaghetti bake recipe for another easy pasta casserole.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Ziti pasta — I highly recommend using ziti pasta as the tubular shape traps the meat, sauce, and cheese, so you get a bit of everything with every bite. If you do not have ziti, penne pasta will be a good substitute.
Ground Italian sausage — if you cannot find ground sausage, you can make your own by removing the casing from Italian sausage. Feel free to get a sweet or spicy sausage.
Marinara sauce — use your favorite marinara sauce, I like to use Rao’s, or you can follow my spaghetti sauce recipe, which is perfect for this pasta dish.
Cheeses — now is not the time to go light on cheese! You’ll need three different kinds of cheese, parmesan, ricotta, and mozzarella, to make the pasta bake gooey and cheesy.
How to Make Baked Ziti
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and saute the onions until they turn translucent. Add the ground Italian sausage and garlic to the pan, and cook, breaking up the sausage with the back of a spoon until browned and no longer pink.
2. Stir in marinara sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until thickened.
3. While the sauce simmers, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water then return to the same pot. Add 2 cups of the simmered tomato sauce and toss to coat.
4. Spoon some of the tomato sauce into a 13×9-inch or 2½-quart casserole dish, just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish.
5. Pour half of the pasta on top and spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce on top.
6. Sprinkle half of the parmesan cheese, dot with half of the ricotta cheese, and sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the pasta.
7. Add the remaining pasta on top.
8. Top with the rest of the sauce and cheeses. Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges and the top is browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Since the cheese gets bubbly, I like to place the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan to catch any overflowing cheese.
- Be careful not to overcook the ziti pasta as it’ll lead to a dry baked ziti. The pasta will cook again in the sauce as it bakes, so be sure to set a timer.
- Be mindful of the order you add the cheese to your baking dish. Parmesan cheese browns faster than shredded mozzarella cheese, so we layer parmesan on the bottom.
- If you want to save money, buy blocks of cheese and shred it yourself. To easily shred your own cheese, run it through a cheese grater or a food processor’s grater attachment.
- Allowing the easy baked ziti to cool before cutting gives it time to set up as the cheese will be too melty immediately out of the oven. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
- Feel free to add some vegetables to this baked ziti recipe if you’d like. Try spinach, grated carrots, or mushrooms. Be sure to saute them first, so they don’t release water into the pasta bake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the meat?
If you prefer not to make baked ziti with sausage, you could use any kind of ground meat such as ground beef, pork, turkey, or chicken. You’ll have to increase the seasoning as these substitutes do not have as much flavor as Italian sausage.
How do I make this ahead of time?
Assemble the ziti pasta bake and then cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring the dish to room temperature if you assembled in a ceramic or glass baking dish to avoid thermal shock when ready to bake. If you use a disposable aluminum pan, you can place it directly into the oven.
How long do leftovers last?
Store leftover baked pasta covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, simply heat in the microwave or oven until warmed throughout.
How do I freeze this pasta bake?
You can freeze leftover pasta or the entire pasta bake. If you plan on freezing the whole dish, I suggest using an aluminum baking dish. Once the pasta has cooled to room temperature, transfer the pasta to an airtight container or wrap the entire pan and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the microwave or oven.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Baked Ziti recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Baked Ziti
Video
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 32-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ to ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound dry ziti pasta
- salt
- ground black pepper
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella about 16 ounces, divided
- ⅔ cup grated parmesan divided
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until just starting to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the sausage and garlic. Cook, breaking up the sausage with the back of a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
- Stir in marinara, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes, or until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- While sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water. Add the pasta and cook until almost tender. (You want it al dente as it will continue cooking when baking.) Drain and rinse with cold water. Return to the same pot.
- To the pasta, add 2 cups tomato sauce. Stir until well coated.
- Spoon some of the tomato sauce into a 13x9-inch or 2 1/2-quart casserole dish, just enough to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the pasta on top.
- Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle half of the parmesan, dot half of the ricotta, and sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the pasta. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauce, and cheeses. Place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges and the top is browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Since the cheese gets bubbly, I like to place the baking dish on a rimmed sheet pan to catch any overflowing cheese.
- Be careful not to overcook the ziti pasta as it’ll lead to a dry baked ziti. The pasta will cook again in the sauce as it bakes, so be sure to set a timer.
- Be mindful of the order you add the cheese to your baking dish. Parmesan cheese browns faster than shredded mozzarella cheese, so we layer parmesan on the bottom.
- If you want to save money, buy blocks of cheese and shred it yourself. To easily shred your own cheese, run it through a cheese grater or a food processor’s grater attachment.
- Allowing the baked ziti with ricotta to cool before cutting gives it time to set up as the cheese will be too melty immediately out of the oven. This makes serving much more manageable, so don’t skip this step.
- Feel free to add some vegetables to this if you’d like. Try spinach, grated carrots, or mushrooms. Be sure to saute them first, so they don’t release water into the pasta bake.
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