This cheesy baked ziti recipe is classic Italian-American comfort food. Layers of tender ziti noodles, a meaty Italian sausage sauce, and creamy cheese make this a true family favorite. Perfect make ahead dish for family dinners, potlucks, and holiday get-togethers!
Why You’ll Love This Baked Ziti Recipe
Hearty and cheesy baked ziti is one of our all time favorite comfort foods. It’s cheesy, meaty, saucy, and so satisfying. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Easy: You only need a few simple ingredients and one casserole dish to make this delicious dish. No fancy equipment or skills required.
- Hearty: With a rich and meaty tomato sauce, tender noodles, ricotta or cottage cheese and lots of shredded cheese, no one is leaving the table hungry!
- Affordable: All the ingredients needed are budget friendly, making this dinner easy on your wallet. It also makes a lot and goes a long way, easily feeding a crowd.
- Perfect for Any Occasion: Whether you need a cozy weeknight dinner, a hearty potluck dish, or a make-ahead freezer meal, this baked ziti recipe has you covered. It’s always a crowd-pleaser!
If you love cheesy pasta dishes, try our one-pot taco pasta or easy chicken bacon ranch pasta ready in 20 minutes!
What You’ll Need
To make this baked ziti recipe, you’ll need some basic pantry staples and a few fresh ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Pasta: We used ziti pasta, but you can always use another tube style pasta.
- Sausage: You can use any ground meat, but we like this baked ziti with sausage as it gives it an authentic flavor. You can use any ground Italian sausage: sweet, mild, spicy or even turkey! Ground beef will work in a pinch too.
- Marinara Sauce: We used our homemade marinara sauce, but store bought works too. We like Rao’s brand because it has no added sugar.
- Onion: Sweet onion is our preference, but you can also use white onion or shallots.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic will give the best flavor.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Cheese: You can make this baked ziti with ricotta cheese or cottage cheese to layer in the middle. You will also need shredded mozzarella cheese.
How to Make Baked Ziti
Making baked ziti is super easy and it comes together quickly. Have all your ingredients out and ready to go! Scroll to the recipe card at bottom of the post for full detailed instructions.
- Prep: Spray a 9×13 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Add marinara sauce to the dish and spread in an even layer.
- Pasta: Cook the ziti until al dente, drain and set aside.
- Meat Sauce: Cook the sausage, onion, and garlic in a skillet until the sausage is no longer pink. Add the marinara and seasonings and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Layer: Add half the ziti, some of the cheeses and half of the sausage mixture to the baking dish. Repeat the layers once more and top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake: Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey. Let the ziti rest for a few minutes to set up. Then garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired, and serve!
Tips for Success
To make the best baked ziti ever, follow these simple tips and tricks!
- Measuring Cup: It may sound silly, but layering baked ziti is a LOT easier when you use a measuring cup. Use it to scoop up the sauce and pour over the pasta. Less mess!
- Sausage: We used turkey Italian sausage because it has less fat and grease. If you’d rather use pork sausage, use a spoon to collect any excess grease from the pan. Save time by buying the loose ground sausage so you don’t have to remove the sausage casing.
- Heat: If you like your baked ziti spicy, choose the hot Italian sausage. Add extra crushed red pepper flakes to the meaty sauce, to taste, before layering it all together.
- Pasta Water: Add salt, but not oil, to your pasta water. Oil will coat the pasta and make it difficult for the sauce to stick.
- Al Dente: Do not overcook the pasta, as it will become mushy once baked in the sauce. We boiled our pasta for 8 minutes, then drained and rinsed it with cold water to stop it from cooking more.
What to Serve With Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is a hearty and filling dish all on its own, but here are a few favorites to round out your meal:
- Salad: Go with this wilted lettuce salad with hot bacon dressing, or try our refreshing spinach and strawberry salad.
- Bread: Garlic bread is always the perfect pairing any crust bread will be delicious.
- Soup: What goes great with an Italian dinner? Italian soup! Try our minestrone soup or crockpot pasta Fagioli soup!
- Pasta: If you are serving a large crowd, consider doing a few baked pasta dishes. White chicken lasagna rollups are always impressive, but we also enjoy this easy ravioli lasagna.
Can I Make This Ahead?
Baked ziti is a great dish to make ahead and enjoy later. Here are your options:
- Fridge: Prepare and layer the casserole, but do not bake. Instead, cover casserole dish tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Remove from the fridge to warm up for 30 minutes on the counter before baking as directed.
- Freeze: If freezing, I recommend using a foil casserole dish. Prepare and layer the casserole, but do not bake. Instead, cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, you have two options:
- Frozen: You can bake the casserole directly from the freezer. Leave a foil covering over the ziti and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 20 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.
- Thaw: For best results, I recommend thawing your ziti before baking. Transfer frozen casserole to the fridge to thaw overnight before baking as directed in the recipe.
How To Store and Reheat Leftovers?
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. We like to separate portions into glass containers for easy lunches.
- Reheat: It’s very easy to quickly heat up individual portions in the microwave. If you’d like to reheat the entire casserole, we recommend doing so in the oven. Make sure you cut into a piece to see if it’s heated through.
- Freeze: Freeze individual portions in airtight containers to make reheating easier. When you’re ready to reheat, let the ziti thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat normally.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
- Cajun Shrimp Pasta
- Stuffed Shells With Spinach
- Cheesy Baked Ravioli
- Shrimp Alfredo
- One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
Yield: 8 servings
Baked Ziti Recipe
This cheesy Baked Ziti recipe is classic Italian-American comfort food. Layers of tender ziti noodles, a meaty Italian sausage sauce, and creamy cheese make this a true family favorite. Perfect for family dinners, potlucks, and holiday get-togethers.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara sauce, divided
- 16 ounces ricotta or cottage cheese, divided
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- Parmesan cheese, optional garnish
- Minced fresh basil or parsley, optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a 9×13” casserole dish add the ¼ cup of marinara sauce, spreading to coat the bottom of the dish in an even layer. (If the marinara sauce doesn’t cover the bottom add a teaspoon at a time of water to the sauce to help cover the bottom.)
- Cook the ziti according to the directions on the package till al dente. Do not overcook. Drain the pasta, rinse it with cold water and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, onion and garlic until the sausage is no longer pink, about 10 minutes. If needed, drain any excess grease before continuing.
- Add the marinara to the skillet, stir and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add half of the cooked ziti to the casserole dish. Then spread 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and half of the cottage cheese over the ziti. Add half of the sauce mixture over the cheese and repeat once more.
- Top with the remaining cup of shredded mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and the cheese is melted.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with grated parmesan and top with a little chopped parsley or basil.
Notes
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. We like to separate portions into glass containers for easy lunches.
Reheat: It’s very easy to quickly heat up individual portions in the microwave. If you’d like to reheat the entire casserole, we recommend doing so in the oven. Make sure you cut into a piece to see if it’s heated through.
Make Ahead: Prepare and layer the casserole, but do not bake. Instead, cover casserole dish tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Remove from the fridge to warm up for 30 minutes on the counter before baking as directed. (For freezing directions, check the post above.)
Heat: If you like your baked ziti spicy, choose the hot Italian sausage. Add extra crushed red pepper flakes to the meaty sauce, to taste, before layering it all together.
Pasta Water: Add salt, but not oil, to your pasta water. Oil will coat the pasta and make it difficult for the sauce to stick.
Al Dente: Do not overcook the pasta, as it will become mushy once baked in the sauce. We boiled our pasta for 8 minutes, then drained and rinsed it with cold water to stop it from cooking more.
Measuring Cup: It may sound silly, but layering baked ziti is a LOT easier when you use a measuring cup. Use it to scoop up the sauce and pour over the pasta. Less mess!
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 639kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 1669mg, Potassium: 903mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1146IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 320mg, Iron: 4mg
