With rich tomato sauce, gooey cheese, and tender noodles with just the right bite, Baked Ziti is hearty and comforting. Extra saucy with the perfect blend of cheese you won’t even miss the meat in this dish.
Comforting and full of classic Italian flavor, even the pickiest of eaters are sure to call this a win. Super easy to prepare and quick to make, Baked Ziti is perfect for feeding large crowds of family and friends.
Can’t get enough pasta recipes? Then check out our one pot lasagna soup, easy baked pasta dish, yummy homemade lasagna, or this one pot beef stroganoff.
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🥫 Ingredients
Warm and comforting with no real fancy ingredients, this pasta bake is one of my favorites.
- Cottage Cheese
- Eggs
- Grated Parmesan
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Heavy Cream
- Marinara Sauce
- Dried Basil
- Salt
- Pasta
(Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and full printable instructions.)
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook Pasta
Firstly we need to get the pasta cooked. In a large pot bring your salted water to a boil. Salting your water is important for good flavor later. (I like to add about a tablespoon of salt to the water.)
Once it is at a boil add your pasta and let it cook to just al dente -- almost under cooked by a minute or two. (Keep in mind your pasta will continue to cook while the dish bakes in the oven. Undercooking your pasta will help give your Baked Ziti a nice bite.)
Prepare Sauce
Then while the noodles are boiling go ahead and combine all of your other ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Just be sure to reserving a cup of the mozzarella and half a cup of the parmesan for the top of your casserole dish.
Once the noodles have cooked to al dente, drain them and add to the sauce mixture. Stir everything together until the pasta is coated well. Then transfer your Baked Ziti mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish.
Bake
Afterwards spread out the mixture and sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top. Place the dish in the oven and allow to bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. At the end switch the oven to broil setting and bake on broil for 3-5 minutes until the top is a nice golden brown and bubbly.
Lastly, remove your Baked Ziti from the oven and allow to sit for 7-10 minutes so the sauce can finish absorbing. Serve with a fresh salad or rolls and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
Add Protein
Though this Baked Ziti is delicious all on it's own, I know there are sometimes you might want to add in a good protein source. Ground beef and Italian sausage would both go well with the dish. Really any of your favorite proteins would pair well with the robust Italian flavors.
And if you happen to have our delicious Spaghetti Meat Sauce already on hand in the fridge or freezer just skip the jarred marinara all together.
Swap the Sauce
Or for a totally different take on your Baked Ziti try swapping half the marinara for our homemade Alfredo Sauce. You could also switch out the cottage cheese for ricotta if wanting an extra silky and decadent dish.
Up the Veggies
One thing I love about pasta dishes is how easy they make it to sneak in some veggies. Sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, peppers, onion, spinach or even eggplant would all taste yummy with your Baked Ziti dish.
Play with the Pasta
Any tube shaped pasta is a great option with this dish. While Penne, Rigatoni or Ziti pasta are more traditional options, that doesn't mean you can't try something else. Cavatappi, Bow Tie or Shell pasta could all be fun options.
💭 Top Tips
Pasta Al Dente
When making your pasta for Baked Ziti the most important thing you can do is not over cook the pasta! In fact you want to make sure to cook the pasta to just al dente -- almost under cooked by a minute or two.
Keep in mind that your pasta will continue to cook while the dish bakes in the oven. Undercooking your pasta will help keep a nice bite to your pasta when ready to eat.
Double the Recipe
Baked Ziti is the perfect recipe for doubling so that you can freeze half and have an easy meal to pull out later. Sometimes I even just double my sauce portion of the recipe and freeze that if I don't want to take up a lot of freezer space.
🍽 Prepare Ahead
Refrigerate
Baked Ziti is a great recipe for making ahead of time. Just prep the whole ziti as normal and top with cheese. Then, instead of baking right away, spray a sheet of foil with non stick cooking spray and cover the pan tightly. Afterwards, tuck the dish in the fridge until ready to bake.
Freeze
And if you want to freeze your Baked Ziti pop it in the freezer instead of the fridge. It should hold up if covered well for up to three months. Then when ready to enjoy pull out of the freezer the night before and place in the fridge to thaw.
(I like to use disposable aluminum baking dishes when I know I'm going to be freezing a meal. Then I don't have to sacrifice one of my everyday pans instead.)
Bake
When ready to bake you will want to keep in mind that your Baked Ziti may need a little extra time to cook as it is starting out cold. But have no fear, just place your dish in the oven still covered with foil.
Then allow it to bake for 20 minutes before uncovering and cooking for another 15 minutes, till it is nice and hot. Switch the oven to a broil setting for 3-5 minutes until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
📋 FAQ's
Can Baked Ziti be made ahead of time?
Baked Ziti is a great recipe for making ahead of time. Just prep the whole ziti as normal and top with cheese. Then, instead of baking right away, spray a sheet of foil with non stick cooking spray and cover the pan tightly. Afterwards, tuck the dish in the fridge until ready to bake.
Can Baked Ziti be frozen?
Baked Ziti is absolutely a freezer friendly meal option. Sometimes I even like to double the recipe and freeze half for an easy meal to pull out later. To freeze Baked Ziti prepare the dish as normal, then just before baking cover tightly with foil and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
📖 Recipe
Baked Ziti
Packed with classic Italian flavors you've got to try this extra saucy and deliciously cheesy pasta bake. Easy to prepare it is perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1½ cups grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 4 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
Instructions
- Add three teaspoons salt to a pot of water. Bring pot to a boil and add pasta. Cook till pasta is al dente. Drain pasta and set aside.
- In a bowl combine cottage cheese, lightly beaten eggs, 1 cup of parmesan, 1 cup of mozzarella, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon salt, basil and marinara sauce. (Set remaining parmesan and mozzarella aside.)
- Add cooked pasta to the bowl of mixed sauce and stir till pasta is all coated.
- Transfer pasta and sauce mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Sprinkle remaining cheeses over the dish and place casserole in the oven. Allow to bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are bubbly.
- Once bubbly switch the oven from bake to a broil setting. Let dish brown for roughly 5 minutes. Once dish is golden and bubbly remove the dish from the oven.
- Allow pan to rest for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy.
Notes
Don't miss other helpful tips, recipe variations and storage information found in the full article above
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 482Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 2200mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 8gProtein: 25g
Nutritional information provided is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products used and any changes made to the recipe. If these calculations are important to you, I recommend calculating them for yourself.