Easy Baked Ziti (Tried and True Family Recipe)
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This easy baked ziti combines hot Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, pasta and lots of gooey cheese to give you the ultimate comforting dish!
After the first forkful hits your tongue, you’ll understand why I say this is the “best ever baked ziti!” Made with minimal ingredients and you still get an explosion of flavor in every taste.
For those nights when you don’t feel like cooking, be sure to try my lazy day mac and cheese. The whole family will be happy to devour it! Or check out all of my pasta recipes.
No meal is complete without some of my air fryer garlic knots or rosemary garlic bread, so you are going to want to check them out too.
This is one of my favorite pasta dish recipes. The layers of pasta paired with the sausage and cheese create the perfect extra flavor.
I’ll go out on a limb and say that this is the best baked ziti recipe – and I think you’re going to agree!
How To Make Easy Baked Ziti
It’s super easy to whip up this baked ziti recipe, even on busy weeknights.
Start off by browning the sausage. Add the tomatoes and let simmer to form the sauce.
Prepare the pasta and add the sauce. Mix together the ricotta, egg, and seasonings. Add in cheese and combine.
Add a layer of sauce in a casserole dish, then top with the pasta mixture. Repeat the process until everything has been added to the dish.
Top with the rest of the cheese, cover, and bake for 20 minutes.
Broil to make the cheese bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with parmesan and parsley, then dig in.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Shred the cheese. I know it’s tempting to buy pre-shredded cheese, but if you want ooey, gooey, melty cheese you have to shred it yourself.
Store-bought has caking agents that will prevent it from melting correctly. - Prevent sticking. Before adding tin foil to the casserole, give the underside a quick spritz of non-stick spray. It will help prevent the cheese from sticking to it.
- Meal prep is always an option. This easy baked ziti recipe makes a lot and the portions are large.
If you can’t eat it in one sitting, go ahead and add it to single-serving containers to grab for an easy lunch or dinner. - Too spicy? Tone down the spice by using regular Italian sausage instead of spicy. Or if you want it even hotter, add some red pepper flakes!
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FAQ – Common Recipe Questions
Yes, of course! Keep in mind it does make 12 servings, but it can easily be doubled to feed a bigger crowd. I recommend using 2 casserole pans instead of 1. Because it makes so much, it will fill one dish and there won’t be room for a 2nd batch in the same pan.
If you don’t eat it all immediately, let it cool down before storing in a sealed food container. It will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Additionally, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 1 month.
You can. That is what is so great about the added simple ingredients. You can use ground beef, fresh spinach, ground turkey, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, ziti pasta, penne pasta, cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, rigatoni pasta, romano cheese, and anything else that you want for this cheesy baked ziti.
Even though the additions will change the traditional baked ziti recipe, you can change it to make your new favorite recipe easily enough. You can even make it into a meatless ziti recipe!
No matter how you make this great dish, just know that it’s certain to be a new family favorite.
I’ve been making this pasta casserole for years, and this cheesy pasta is still one meal where the whole dish gets eaten! It’s perfect for weeknight dinners and a great recipe for leftovers as well. Whip this up the next time you’re craving something hearty and delicious!
Oven method: Turn on the oven to 350 degrees, then place the ziti in a casserole dish. Add some aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it’s hot.
Microwave method: Place on a microwavable plate and cover with a moist paper towel. Heat for 1-2 minutes or until hot. The damp paper towel keeps the pasta from drying out as it heats.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Oven Baked Recipes
Easy Baked Ziti (Tried and True Family Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 29 ounces Hunt’s Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, 2 14.5 ounce cans
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 16 ounce container whole ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, (divided)
- 12 ounces fresh shredded mozzarella, divided
- 4 ounces fresh shredded provolone, divided
- Chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley, (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, break apart and cook the sausage until cooked through. Drain most of the excess fat and return sausage to the pan.
- Add the diced tomatoes and crushed tomatoes to the cooked sausage. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile: boil pasta in salted water according to package directions. Cooked until just al dente (about 10 minutes), it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Drain pasta.
- In a large bowl combine ricotta, beaten egg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine, don’t ovemix. To keep the pasta creamy you do not want to break up all of the ricotta mixture.
- Then add half cup of the Parmesan cheese and half of the mozzarella (6 ounces) and half of the provolone (2 ounces) to the ricotta mixture. Stir to combine.
- Add the cheese mixture to the pot of pasta. Mix lightly.
- Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish. Then add about half of the pasta mixture. Smooth it out with a spatula and press it down in the dish. Add a few ladles of sauce over top.
- Add the remaining pasta. Smooth out the pasta. Add the remaining sauce over top, spread it out evenly and then sprinkle the remaining cheeses over top.
- Cover and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
- Remove cover and broil until just lightly browned and bubbly (about 2-3 minutes).
- Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2021, updated and republished March 2024
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Ziti is one of my favorite dishes, this recipe is so good that I made it again the next night when I had company over!
This was absolutely delicious!
Hi Lisa!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it.
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
I made this for Super Bowl dinner. It was delicious! My husband loved the tomato taste. I made two changes: half mild and half hot Italian sausages. (It was the perfect heat for us) and I couldn’t fine provolone so ended up buying bag of shredded provolone and mozzarella together. I know hard cheese (shredded by me) is better but it was all I had.
Anyway we will definitely have this again!
Hi Trina!
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
This dish was an absolute hit with my family! so easy to make and incredibly delicious. definitely adding it to our regular dinner rotation.
Hi Zoey!
We’re so glad you enjoyed!!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn
I loved making this baked ziti! I added some sautéed mushrooms for extra flavor, and it turned out amazing.
Hi Michelle!
We’re so glad that you enjoyed the recipe!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn