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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 very 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 Italian 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 the oven. Boil the ziti pasta for a few 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. 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 make this baked ziti recipe? Please let me know in the comments below! Ask any questions not answered above. 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).
- This recipe can also be found in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Hi! I absolutely love this recipe and am making it to share with a church group on Sunday! I plan on putting it all together on Saturday and then was hoping to cook through and heat it through on Sunday in a crockpot. I’m slightly worried the ziti will overcook and get mushy. If I cook the noodles slightly less than al dente, would that work? Any other suggestions?
Hi Jen! I’m so glad it’s a favorite! Hmmm… I agree with you that overcooking the noodles could be an issue, and that undercooking the noodles is probably a good idea. And maybe adding a bit of extra sauce so it doesn’t dry out. I wish I had a better suggestion, but I always advise readers to do a test run. That way you’ll know for sure if it’ll work or not. I know that’s a lot of extra food and work, though!
Hi Natasha! Just wanted to let you know cooking in the crockpot worked out fantastic. I undercooked the noodles by an extra minute, assembled it all in the crockpot the day before and heated it on high for 3 hours the next day and couldn’t be happier. The noodles were perfect!
That’s amazing!! Thanks for letting me know! 😀
I love this recipe! I’ve made it quite a few times now. This time I doubled the batch (tip: use LARGE) pots lol… I am freezing some for when my baby arrives!
Natasha, should I thaw overnight in the fridge and bake. Or can I bake it from frozen?
I’m so glad it’s a favorite, Kimberley! I would thaw it first. I am not sure on timing for baking from frozen. There’s a few tips in the blog post under the “Can you make baked ziti ahead of time?” heading.
What are the measurements for cheese,tomatoes, heavy cream?
Hi Debbie! There’s a recipe card right above the comments section with the full ingredients (including measurements) and instructions.
I want to make day before party. Will that work and how do I make sure it’s hot and great next day
Hi! See the make ahead tips section in the blog post. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Delicious 😋 I have never made a Ziti. The taste was out of this world. I subbed/added some things like used turkey sausage and my own homemade sauce as well as added fresh mozzarella to ricotta. OMG, was it great. Thank you.
You are very welcome!! 😀 I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha, my name is Michelle, thank you for sharing your recipe. I made your baked ziti for my oldest grandson, who I don’t get to see in person very often due to distance. He loved it and so did the other members of the family.
Thanks you again.
Michelle. C
Hi Michelle!! I’m thrilled to hear your family enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know. 😀
I made this recipe and my husband said it was the best one I have ever made! It will be the one I make from now on…
That’s so nice to hear!! Thank you!
This is a family favorite! Have made it quite a few times and each time it is tastier than the last! Super easy to make with the plus of extra yummy left overs!
Yay!! Thank you, Carrie!
Tried this tonight and it was a big hit! I had small penne so I used what I had on hand. Also switched out the ricotta and used cottage cheese (drained as much of the liquid as I could though). It came out full of flavor. Will definitely be making again ☺️
Yay!! Thanks, Joanna!
I’m so upset I bought diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes. The recipe didn’t come out great because of it. I should’ve just substituted marinara sauce or something similar. I plan on making it again though, this time with the crushed tomatoes.
Hi Sydney! Sorry it didn’t work out that time! So frustrating. 🙁 Hope it goes better when you try it again.