Baked Ziti
You will love this easy and cheesy baked ziti recipe! It's so hearty, rich, and full of flavor that everyone will be reaching for seconds.
Servings 8 servings
Calories 751kcal
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Large Pot
- 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.
Video
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 751kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 1524mg | Potassium: 1004mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1935IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 503mg | Iron: 4mg