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This baked ziti recipe is a mouthwatering Italian American favorite that has pasta and Italian sausage in tomato sauce along with three kinds of cheese! It’s a crowd-pleasing pasta bake that you can easily make ahead of time.
Can’t get enough baked pasta recipes? Try this Classic Homemade Lasagna or Million Dollar Spaghetti.
Why you’ll love it
Want to know our secret to making the best baked ziti? The sauce is made completely from scratch instead of opening up a jar of marinara sauce, yet it’s still incredibly simple to make. The difference is amazing. You’ll never again make it another way!
Baked ziti with ricotta is on many restaurant menus, but it’s way better homemade. This iconic dish is sure to become a new family favorite. Whenever I make it, everybody can’t get enough since it’s so cheesy and comforting with no fancy ingredients.
What you’ll need
- Ziti – it’s a hollow tube-shaped pasta that’s a little longer than penne and isn’t cut on an angle. It can either be smooth or have ridges.
- Sausage – you can buy sausage meat or just take it out of the casings. I used mild, but you can use hot if you prefer.
- Onion and garlic – classic aromatics to give a great savory base
- Italian seasoning – it comes in a single jar and has a blend of dried herbs
- Crushed red pepper flakes – they don’t make it spicy, but you could double them if you do want this pasta bake to have some heat! Or omit them entirely.
- Tomatoes – we’re using canned crushed tomatoes for the base of the tasty sauce since they’re thick and smooth
- Cream – heavy cream gives the sauce its totally luxurious quality!
- Salt and pepper – it’s important to be generous with the seasoning
- Sugar – adding a pinch of sugar is a tried and true tip for countering the acidity of tomatoes. It’s even used in restaurants for that signature taste.
- Ricotta – I made this baked ziti with ricotta so that there’s a cheesy middle layer that makes each bite deliciously creamy!
- Parmesan and mozzarella – these two cheeses make up our irresistible melty topping
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- A heavy duty 9×13 casserole dish is useful for so many recipes, including pasta bakes like this one! Don’t need to feed a crowd? Halve the recipe and use an 8×8 baking dish.
- My garlic press is awesome for quickly crushing garlic in recipes that call or minced or crushed garlic.
- Want to freeze this baked ziti when making it ahead? It’s easiest to do that in disposable aluminum foil baking pans.
How to make baked ziti
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Preheat oven to 375F. Boil the ziti pasta for 2-3 minutes less than the package directions say, and set aside. In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté the onion and sausage meat until browned. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, cream, salt & pepper, and sugar. Let it heat through for a few minutes, and then add in the drained ziti and toss.
In a 9×13 baking dish, spread in an even layer half the pasta mixture. Top with ricotta to make the cheesy inner layer.
Add the remaining pasta to make a second layer, and then top with the parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, or about 20 minutes. Broil until the cheese is golden. Serve with fresh basil if desired!
Can you make baked ziti ahead of time?
- You can definitely make it ahead of time. Simply prep it according to the instructions until the baking step, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for a day.
- You could also freeze it for up to a month. If frozen, let it thaw in the fridge overnight before baking. Since it’ll be starting out cold, it’ll need a bit of extra time than in the original instructions. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, and then uncover it cook for another 15-20 minutes until hot. Broil after that so the cheese is bubbly.
- Keep in mind that fresh is best and the pasta might soak up a bit of the sauce if you make it ahead, but it’ll still taste great!
Substitutions and variations
- If you can’t find ziti, try penne.
- You could try subbing the sausage meat for ground beef if you prefer.
- The cream makes the sauce extra silky and delicious, so I don’t recommend subbing it, but if you really want to, I’d sub it for a cup of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or even Marinara Sauce vs. something with a lower fat content than heavy cream like half-and-half or milk that could easily curdle due to the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Feel free to omit the ricotta. Some people love it, and it does add creaminess, but you could definitely make it without! Cottage cheese also makes a good substitute for ricotta cheese.
- Want to add in some vegetables? Zucchini, mushrooms, or even eggplant would be good.
What to serve with baked ziti
- I love a big slice of Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread with it!
- For something a little lighter to complement it, try a side salad with this Creamy Balsamic Dressing, my Easy Caesar Salad Dressing, or Olive Garden Salad Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- If you have any leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.
- Reheat in the oven for best results, but you could also microwave until it’s heated through.
- Baked ziti leftovers can also be frozen. I like to portion them up in individual containers for hassle-free meals later on.
More pasta bakes to enjoy
Did you have any questions about this baked ziti recipe? Let me know in the comments below! Please leave a star rating and review. You can also find me on Instagram.
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked ziti or penne pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage see note
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon white sugar see note
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- For serving: chopped fresh parsley and/or basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven. Boil a salted pot of water and cook the ziti for 2-3 minutes less than package directions indicate. Drain and set aside once it's done.
- Meanwhile, add the sausage meat and onion to another pot and cook until browned (about 7-10 minutes), stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pot and cook for about a minute.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, cream, salt & pepper, and sugar. Let it heat through (about 5 minutes).
- Drain the pasta, add it to the pot with the sauce, and toss.
- Add half the pasta mixture to a 9×13 casserole dish (spread it out evenly to create your bottom layer).
- Spoon the ricotta over the pasta for the cheesy middle layer (you don't need to be too neat… I just put dollops here and there).
- Spoon the remaining pasta into the casserole dish to create an even top layer (I don't stir it).
- Sprinkle the parmesan and mozzarella over top.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes (or until hot & bubbly), and then broil (watch it closely) to brown the cheese.
- Serve with some fresh basil and/or parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use either ground sausage meat or buy sausages and take the meat out of the casings. Anything up to about 1.5 pounds will work.
- The sugar helps enhance the sweetness of the canned tomatoes. You may leave it out if you prefer, but it helps give this recipe that “restaurant quality” taste.
- If you need to sub the cream (I don’t recommend it), I would sub it with a cup of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, or even marinara (not something like half-and-half or milk because the acid will likely curdle it).
- Want to skip the ricotta? This recipe will still be delicious without it.
- See blog post for more tips, step-by-step photos, and answers to FAQs (including make-ahead tips).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Was good just not saucy enough next time I’ll double the sauce and add more seasoning to compensate
I made this yesterday and placed in refridgerator for today. I can’t wait to try it.
Should I cook a littler longer since being in fridge?
Hi Abbey! Yes, I’d let it warm up on the counter for a bit to take the cold edge off, and you may want to bake it for a bit longer. I would test to see if it’s hot in the middle after you’ve tacked on perhaps another 15 minutes or so to baking time (before the broil step). If it’s not hot, just continue baking it for a bit longer prior to broiling. 🙂
Hi!
How did this turn out with refrigerating for a day before baking ? I am going to refrigerate for a few hours before baking. Wondering if the pasta absorbs a lot of the sauce.
This was so delicious and easy! It made enough for two teenage boys who never get full and leftovers!
Haha love that!! Thank you!
Made a double batch tonight, because my husband and I are leaving soon for a two week trip to Greece. I wanted to leave a nice amount of food for him. OMGOSH. It is SO delicious! Thank you for this amazing and EASY recipe. We all thank you!! This will be a favorite!
I’m so happy you like it!! 😀 Enjoy Greece!
Made it for my husband and teenage boys and they loved it. Easy to make and tasty. It’s on my list of dinners to make. Thanks!
Wonderful!! Thrilled to hear that, Kay! 🙂
This dish came out delicious. Will definitely make again.
Thrilled to hear that, Roxanne! Really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review. 🙂
bust, delish, brought tears of joy to my soul. Replaced the sausage with mushrooms cause I don’t like cooking meat and doubled the ricotta. Thank you for bringing this to me, i have no words. ❤️ 🍝 🤤 💜 😋 🧂 🇮🇹 ♥️
You are very welcome, Mela!! 😀 Thrilled you enjoyed it!
Hi! I’ve never made ziti before so this may be correct…but the sauce seems really liquidy on the pasta when I’m tossing it in. Like not sticking to it. Is that how it should be? Does it thicken while cooking?
Hi! I don’t know if you can tell in the step-by-step photos, but that’s how it looked when I last made it. Not super thick but not thin either. Yes it will thicken up a bit more in the oven, so I try to err on the side of more sauce so that it doesn’t end up dry after baking. Let me know how it turns out – I wish I could get a glimpse into your kitchen so I could be more helpful right now haha.
WOW! I never post comments on recipes. No particular reason, just never get around to it. BUT THIS RECIPE has me shouting from the rooftops. This is one of the best meals I’ve ever made, and my finicky family of three boys and my husband all agree, this is a KEEPER! Definitely will be making this over and over again. In fact, I can’t wait to host a dinner party, because I am making this.
Thank you for sharing! I didn’t (and wouldn’t) change a thing!
That makes me so happy, Kena!! 😀 Thank you for taking the time to write me a review – this small business very much appreciates it!
This is really good! I successfully subbed all of the heavy cream for light cream, no issues or curdling. I also threw in a chopped bell pepper and 1 cup of chopped spinach to boost the nutritional content.
I’m pleased it worked out, Ash!