Mom’s Baked Ziti Recipe

Mom’s baked ziti recipe features al dente pasta with meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese. Make pasta sauce a few days in advance or wrap in foil and freeze for 2 months. The sauce and cheese make it heaven in baking dish and perfect for serving a crowd! Delicious with Caesar salad, garlic bread or garlic knots.

Looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe that’s hearty, flavorful, and makes you look like a superstar chef? Baked ziti to the rescue! Aka al dente noodles layered with ricotta cheese, meat sauce, and Italian cheeses. Like lasagna… without the fussy assembly and layering! 

Perfect for family gatherings or any night you’re craving Italian-inspired comfort food. You can easily feed 8 people with one pan of baked ziti. Leftovers? It pairs great with an Italian chopped salad and some warm garlic knots or garlic bread! 

Or you can freeze baked ziti! Just wrap the whole pan in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Then bring the baked ziti out of the freezer the night before you plan on cooking it!

How to Make Baked Ziti… BETTER? 

We’ve been passing this recipe around my family for years… it’s a tried-and true-staple! And plenty of 5-star reviews promise you’ll love it, too! Here’s what makes this recipe better than the rest:

• Al dente pasta… because soggy noodles are a sin!!!
• Flavorful ricotta cheese mixture: my secret blend is smooth and so delish!
• Goodbye boring tomato sauce, hello hearty meat sauce! Which is extra flavorsome thanks to ground beef and Italian sausage.
• Make days in advance – store in the fridge or freezer! Or make the tomato sauce and ricotta cheese mixture the day before making.

Baked Ziti Recipe: The Ingredients 

• Olive Oil: Use whatever you have on hand, no need to be fancy.
• Onion: Adds tons of flavor to the tomato sauce. In a pinch, use white onion or even red onion in the pasta sauce recipe.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic adds flavor to the meat sauce, so don’t sub dried garlic powder!
• Red Pepper Flakes: If you’re using spicy Italian sausage, you can omit the red pepper flakes.
• Meat: Lean ground beef and Italian sausage.
• Tomato: Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes give the tomato sauce plenty of tomato flavor.
• Red Wine: In a pinch white wine or beef broth are good subs.
• Dried Spices: Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and granulated sugar add flavor.
• Fresh Herbs: Basil and parsley add a pop of fresh flavor the ricotta cheese and tomato sauce. 
• Cheese: This features ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese. I don’t suggest subbing cottage cheese for the ricotta cheese.
• Eggs: An egg and an egg yolk thicken the ricotta cheese mixture. 
• Pasta: The best pasta for baked ziti is penne ziti noodles. 

Let’s Make The BEST Baked Ziti!

1. Pour a cup of meat sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Add half the ricotta cheese mixture, dropping it in dots over the bottom of the baking dish.
2. Pour pasta on top, then top with remaining tomato sauce. Dot the remaining ricotta cheese, then sprinkle with shredded cheese mixture and the cheese cubes.

Place baking dish in the oven and bake until cheese mixture is bubbling and golden brown. To go past the lightly browned phase, you can pop on the broiler for a minute or so. But keep a close eye.

Al Dente Noodles for Baked Ziti 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for exactly 4 minutes and not a second longer – set a timer to keep track of time. 
2. Drain pasta and run it under cold water to stop it from cooking. Then use as directed!

Your ziti noodles will still be hard when drained. Extra al dente noodles are best so they absorb the liquid from the tomato sauce.

Ground Beef + Italian Sausage Tomato Sauce

• This sauce is a little extra effort, but you can make it in advance. Store in the fridge for 3 days or freeze for 2 months! 
• Ground beef and Italian sausage make extra hearty meat sauce! Sweet Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage work. 
• Tomato sauce and tomato paste ensure the meat sauce is thick and has rich tomato flavor! 
• Fresh basil and fresh parsley wake add a pop of freshness to the pasta sauce. 

Ricotta Cheese Mixture 

• Like most baked ziti recipes, this one features ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. 
• I add Fontina cheese, which tastes delicious and melts beautifully. If you must, sub an equal amount of low-moisture mozzarella.
• The ricotta cheese mixture includes egg, egg yolk, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, salt, and pepper.

How long to Bake Baked Ziti

1. Bake until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Time varies depending on your oven and baking dish. 
2. Glass dishes conduct heat faster than ceramic dishes. Using a thick ceramic baking dish? Add 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Don’t bake covered; covering with aluminum foil prevents the cheese from getting lightly browned. It’ll also traps steam, which can cause soggy noodles! So be sure to bake uncovered. 

Make Baked Ziti Days in Advance

1. Assemble as directed, then the wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 48 hours. 
2. Time to bake? Remove from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to 30 minutes.
3. Remove plastic wrap (don’t bake covered!) and bake as directed. You might add 10 to 15 minutes onto bake time since you’re baking it from a chilled state. Once the cheese lightly browns and bubbles, you can likely consider it ready!

How to Freeze Baked Ziti?

Freezing baked ziti is a great idea, especially if you have a life event coming up like having a baby or moving! Here’s how to freeze baked ziti like a pro:

1. Bake as directed, then cool completely. This can take several hours, but is a crucial step. Or, assemble the baked ziti up to the bake step, and freeze unbaked. 
2. Cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. 
3. Label with the date. Place in the freezer and freeze for up to 2 months.