This Baked Ziti is an easy, saucy, cheesy pasta casserole with all of the great flavors of Lasagna, but so much easier to prepare. Watch the video tutorial below and see how simple it is to make this pasta bake that captures the essence of Italian-American flavors in every bite.
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We love classic Italian recipes, and I’ve got some simple to make, but oh, so tasty ones to share! From Chicken Parmesan to Meatballs, and Manicotti too, if you are a fan of saucy, cheesy pasta, this Baked Ziti is a must-try!
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
Baked ziti is an Italian-American casserole of tubular-shaped ziti noodles with Marinara Sauce, ricotta, and loads of gooey, melty cheese. Think of this Baked Ziti as a lazy lasagna- it has all of the familiar flavors of Lasagna, without the fuss of layering the noodles.
The combination of mozzarella and parmesan, a match made in pasta heaven, is our secret to making the BEST Baked Ziti! I love that this pasta casserole is make-ahead friendly, so customizable, and freezer-friendly too. No need to be precise or fancy with this dish. You can’t go wrong with pasta and cheese.
Baked Ziti Video
Watch Natasha make this easy Baked Ziti Pasta casserole. Get ready to dive into the comfort of saucy pasta and melted cheeses. You are going to love this one.
Why this Recipe Works
- Easy – This recipe is nothing fancy – the ingredients are mixed together, and it’s not supposed to look perfect, but it sure tastes perfect.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – This recipe can be prepared up to two days before baking. Not only does it freeze and reheat beautifully, but it also makes a wonderful meal for a potluck or a meal train dinner for a friend in need.
- Picky-eater Approved – Baked Ziti recipes are customizable to your taste or dietary needs. See our suggestions below on how to make this dish your own.
Ingredients
The ingredients here are simple, so use the best quality you can source. If you have 10 minutes, try Homemade Marinara Sauce which is our secret to making the BEST Baked Ziti!
- Ziti Pasta – cooked al dente – keep in mind it finishes cooking in the oven.
- Ground Beef – I like to use 85% lean
- Onion and Garlic – aromatics that add tons of flavor and aroma
- Marinara Sauce – Homemade or store-bought
- Ricotta – One 15-ounce container of fresh ricotta cheese
- Basil Leaves – Ten fresh leaves, cut into thin strips
- Mozzarella Cheese – We use low moisture, part-skim
- Parmesan Cheese – One cup, freshly grated or shredded and divided
Variations
- Meat – Try chicken or ground turkey instead of beef; add Italian sausage or meatballs; or omit the meat altogether to make a vegetarian casserole.
- Vegetables – Adding veggies is a great way to bulk up this recipe and turn this pasta casserole into a meal in itself. Dice and sauteé zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, and/or carrots and add them to your sauce mixture. Sprinkle chopped spinach or layer sliced and sauteed bell peppers between the layers of pasta. You can use one or all of these to make the best Vegetarian Baked Ziti.
- Pasta – You can use any tubular pasta, ridges or no ridges, it’s up to you. Ziti is an obvious choice, but you can also use penne, rigatoni, cavatappi, or rotini. For a gluten-free pasta casserole, try a GF pasta.
- Cheese – In addition to the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, you can top your baked pasta dish with fresh grated parmesan, or sliced fresh mozzarella.
How to Make Baked Ziti
This is the easiest pasta casserole and the results are so perfecto. It’s no wonder Baked Ziti is such a popular dish.
- Boil – Set your oven to 350°F. While the oven preheats, boil a large pot of salted water and cook one pound of ziti pasta until al dente, then drain.
- Sauteé – In a large sauté pan or Dutch Oven, sauté ground beef and onion until cooked through. Add minced garlic, salt, and pepper and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant.
- Combine – Pour Marinara Sauce into the meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce into a 9×13 inch casserole dish to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom.
- Stir – Spoon the ricotta cheese and basil into the pot of sauce and gently stir until lightly combined. Stir in the cooked pasta, mixing just until the pasta is coated.
- Assemble – Add half the pasta mixture to the casserole dish, top with half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and then repeat with another layer of pasta and finally, more cheese.
- Bake – Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25 minutes and then broil for an additional 2 minutes to brown the top. Garnish with fresh basil and another sprinkle of parmesan cheese for good measure. We love to use this Cheese Grater.
Pro Tip:
Don’t overcook your pasta. You want to cook the pasta al dente (slightly firm) as it will continue to cook in the oven while baking.
Can I use spaghetti instead of ziti?
Baked Ziti is really best with a tube-shaped pasta, to really hold onto that meat sauce. If you are looking for a spaghetti casserole, try our Chicken Tetrazzini recipe, it’s fantastic!
How can I make a healthy baked ziti?
Choose leaner meat (such as ground turkey), add low-fat cheeses (and reduce how much you use), and add extra vegetables to boost nutritional content are all easy ways to make this recipe healthier.
Can I double the recipe?
This is a great dish to feed crowds for a potluck or party. If you need to double the recipe, please use a second casserole dish or a large disposable aluminum pan.
How to Serve Pasta Casseroles
Be sure to let your Baked Ziti sit for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. After that, use a spatula to cut it into squares, or simply scoop it out of the dish with a spoon. Serve this classic dish with:
- Garlic Bread – an obvious choice
- Roasted Cauliflower – simple and delicious
- Caesar Salad – light and crisp with the best dressing
- Garden Salad – a go-to since it’s kid-friendly
- Panzanella Salad – adds more Italian flavors to your meal
Make-Ahead
Baked ziti can be assembled ahead or baked ahead and reheated. It’s perfect for meal planning.
- Prep-Ahead: Assemble, cover with foil, and refrigerate for up to two days before baking.
- Storing Leftovers: Store leftover portions in airtight storage containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating Leftovers: Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before heating. Drizzle with a little water to keep it moist, cover with foil, and put in the oven at 350˚F for 20-30 minutes or until heated through. Timing will vary by the amount of ziti. You can also reheat in the microwave.
- Freezing: Assemble in an aluminum or oven-safe casserole dish without baking. Cool completely and then tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen ziti in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking as directed.
“Mangia, mangia!” (an Italian phrase which means ‘Eat, eat!’)
More Casserole Recipes
We love casseroles for dinner because they can be made ahead and re-heat well so you get to enjoy leftovers for days. These are the top-rated, best-loved casserole recipes on our blog:
- Chicken Pot Pie Casserole
- Chicken Lasagna
- Lasagna Roll-Up
- Eggplant Parmesan
- Chicken and Mushroom Casserole
- Baked Mac and Cheese
Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole) VIDEO
Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti pasta, or penne pasta or gluten-free pasta
- 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 15 oz fresh ricotta
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions until just al dente, then drain (do not overcook as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven).
- In a deep pan or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until beef is fully cooked through and onions are softened (5-7 minutes). Add minced garlic, salt, pepper, and sauteé for another minute. Add 5 cups marinara sauce, bring to a simmer, and continue cooking for 5 minutes then turn off the heat.
- Spread a ladle of meat sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Add chopped basil and spoon in ricotta into the remaining sauce Add cooked pasta and stir just until noodles are coated (you want to keep that ricotta texture)
- Transfer half of the pasta to the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella and 1/2 of the grated parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Clear the edges of the pan so the cheese doesn’t burn onto the dish. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with basil if desired and serve.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi Natasha. I really want to try this receipe but most of my family are not fans of ricotta, cream cheese or cottage cheese. What if any can I substitute with instead? Thank you
Hi Elizabeth, all the cheese that you mentioned are mostly the cheese being used for this recipe. I have not tried any other substitute yet to advise,
I made it with sour cream instead of ricotta and it was amazingly delicious.
Thank you for sharing that with us Yvonne!
I made this with ground Italian sausage and cut everything, except the mozzarella, in half. It came out great. Thank you so much.
Glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Thank you for sharing.
This was so awesome, but a lot for 2 people. Can leftovers be frozen?
Hello Carmen, yes, leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated but not for so long. I would recommend freezing before baking. Tightly cover and freeze unbaked casserole up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake at 350˚F covered in foil for 10 minutes to bring it to temperature. Uncover and finish baking as directed in the recipe.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious! Easy enough to make, and it bakes in 25 minutes or a little less!
Yay, fantastic! Thank you for sharing that with us, Barbara.
What is the best way to reheat?
Hi Marilyn, it depends on how much of it you are reheating. You can reheat a portion in the microwave or the full casserole in the oven.
I was you all the time! Just made your ziti! Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much.
You’re most welcome, Vicki. I hope you enjoyed it!
Made this subbing mezze rigatoni for the ziti and added extra garlic. Came out absolutely phenomenal! My dad couldn’t stop raving about it. Thanks Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Can I use a 9 by 13 pan instead?
Hello Martyna, yes that should be good!
I’d like to make this vegetarian and add zucchini. Since I’m leaving out the hamburger-can you suggest how much zucchini I should mix into this recipe?
Hi Cathy, this is often made vegetarian so you can add zucchini based on your preference but I would sautee it first before mixing it with the sauce.
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta cheese?
Hi Carol, I haven’t tried this with all cottage cheese but that should still work. You might drain well and then mash up the cottage cheese for a similar texture.
so if you need 5 cups of sauce your basically have to double the sauce receipe because it only make 3 cups…correct?
Hi Debbie, I would increase everything proportionally and use 2 casserole dishes.
So easy to make and it tasted amazing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Liya!
For people asking about what to use instead of ricotta, or cottage cheese, I used 1/2 cup sour cream and added it to the meat sauce.
Was delicious.
I’m glad to hear that worked! Thank you for sharing Sandy!
We made this for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious!!!
The whole family loved it!!!
Hi Natasha, I’ve tried so many of your recipes, and loved them. Question baked Ziti can the sauce be switched with Alfredo my granddaughter docent like red sauces.
Hello Susan, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. I honestly haven’t tried using alfredo sauce to advise but I imagine that will work too. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Damn,this is really good, and I didn’t really expect it since I’m not much of a lasagna fan!! And simple is an under statement. If you make the sauce in advance, this is a week night throw together
Isn’t it so great! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe Bill!
Made ziti tonight based on your recipe. Except added a bit of hot sauce for the portion I did for my husband. He said this is the best ziti he ever had. And my kids loved the non spicy version. Thank you. Love your recipes!
Wow! That’s so great! Thank you for sharing this awesome feedback with us!
Hi Natasha, I would love to try this receipe but my family are not a fan of Ricotta cheese. Can I substitute another kind of cheese in its place?
Thanks Betty Anne
Hi Betty, cottage cheese may work also. I haven’t tested this but one of our readers also made this with cream cheese to substitute for ricotta.
Hi Natasha! What casserole dish did you use?
Hi Melanie, all of our favorite tools and dishes can be found in our Amazon Shop Here or our Blog Shop Here! I hope that helps!
Where is the link for the cheese grater please x
Hi Glynis, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
I made the baked ziti last night and it was so delicious I’m having some for breakfast now. I love your recipes. Thank you so much!
Thank you for the glowing review, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve found myself having Ziti for breakfast.