What is Baked ziti? Baked ziti is the ultimate Italian-American comfort food, and this recipe brings all the flavors of Sunday dinner to your table.
Tender pasta is layered with a rich tomato meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and plenty of gooey mozzarella before baking to perfection.
Growing up, my mom made a similar baked pasta dish rigatoni al forno. Give it a try, you might be surprised at how much you like it! Or try my Mom's Lasagna recipe, my Penne alla Vodka with Chicken or my Creamy Burrata Tortellini Salad.
Visit my recipe box for some more great recipe ideas inspired by Italian tradition!
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Here's Why You'll Love Baked Ziti
- classic Italian comfort food
- family-friendly and perfect for feeding a crowd
- easy to prepare ahead and bake when ready for easy weeknight dinners
- hearty meal that's rich, cheesy and satisfying
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Did You Know?
Baked ziti may feel like a purely Italian dish, but it's actually more of an Italian-American classic. In Italy baked pasta dishes (pasta al forno) are traditionally served for Sunday dinners and special occasions, often layered with rich sauces, cheese, and sometimes meat.
When Italian immigrants brought these traditions to North America, they adapted with local ingredients like ricotta and mozzarella to create the version of baked ziti we know and love today.
Today, it's a staple at family gatherings, church suppers, and holiday tables across North America.
Ingredients
For this baked ziti recipe you'll need: olive oil, garlic, ground beef, salt and pepper, tomato puree, and tomato paste. Or you can use store bought or homemade Italian Meat Sauce.
You'll also need ziti, penne or rigatoni pasta, romano or parmesan cheese, ricotta, mozzarella and a little bit of reserved pasta water.
For exact measurement details and directions see recipe card...
How to Make Baked Ziti
In a large saucepan heat up the olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.
Add the veal to the skillet breaking it to pieces as you add it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Once veal is cooked. Add tomato paste and stir into coat all of the ground meet.
Add tomato puree and bring to boil. Place basil leaves in sauce. Bring down to a simmer and cook covered for about 20 minutes.
Place about half of the sauce into the bowl with the pasta. Mix well. Add half shredded mozzarella. Mix well. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, salt and parmesan cheese. Mix well and set aside
In a medium sized baking dish (9 x 8), layer some sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half of the pasta mixture in the dish. Spread a ¼ of the remaining sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the more mozzarella on top. top pasta with spoonful's of the ricotta mixture using up half of the mixture.
Pour the rest of the pasta mixture on top. Top with remaining mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Spread the remaining sauce over pasta. Add some of the reserved pasta water on each corner of the dish allowing it to fall to the bottom.
Bake at 350°F degrees for 45 minutes covered with foil. You will know when it is done when a fork is easily inserted in the pasta and the pasta is soft. Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it stand for about 15 minutes so that it sets and is easy to scoop and serve.
How to Store Baked Ziti
Baked ziti stores very well. Any leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3 to 4 days.
The best way to reheat pasta is by placing it in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil and frying it up until it is crispy. Top with roman or parmesan cheese and you'll totally fall in love with this pasta dish again.
You can also freeze baked zitti, just thaw out and use the fry method to reheat to perfection!
Top Tips
Break up your meat with the back of a wooden spoon as it's cooking in the skillet.
Cook your pasta al dente, which means "with a bite" or slightly undercooked.
Taste before seasoning your tomato sauce. Most store bough tomato puree has added salt to preserve the freshness of the product. Best to taste your sauce before adding salt.
If you prepared your ziti ahead of time and are taking it from fridge to oven, allow for approximately another 10 minutes of cook time.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few substitutions to use for baked ziti:
- Ground Sausage - use ground sausage or ground turkey instead of beef
- Cottage Cheese - swap ricotta with cottage cheese
- Spice - make it spicy with red pepper flakes or spice sausage
- White Sauce - try a white sauce version with bechamel and parmesan
- Spinach or zucchini - add vegetables as another food group
The perfect recipe isn't that far away. I'd love to know how you substituted ingredients to fit your dietary needs. Drop a comment below and let me know!
Answers to Commonly Asked Questions
Yes, assemble it up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready.
In a 350 degree F oven, cook ziti for about 40 to 45 minutes or longer if previously refrigerated.
Appetizers to try with your Baked Ziti
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Details
Baked Ziti - A Comforting Italian - American Classic Dish
https://easyhomemaderecipes.caEquipment
- baking dish or roasting pan
Ingredients
Sauce
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lbs ground beef veal, pork, turkey or chicken
- ½ tsp salt
- ground pepper to taste
- 26 oz tomato puree
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 leaves fresh basil
For the Pasta
- 15 oz pasta ziti, rigatoni, penne
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cups parmesan cheese or romano cheese, grated
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cups ricotta
- ½ cups mozzarella shredded
- ¾ cups pasta water reserved, or broth
Instructions
For the Sauce
- In a large saucepan heat up the olive oil and cook the garlic until fragrant.4 tbsp olive oil, 1 clove garlic
- Add the veal to the skillet breaking it to pieces as you add it. Add salt and pepper to taste. Use the back of a wooden spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Once veal is cooked. Add tomato paste and stir into coat all of the ground meet.1 lbs ground beef, ½ tsp salt, ground pepper, 3 tbsp tomato paste
- Add tomato puree and bring to boil. Add basil. The sauce will cook down and get thick, if necessary add ½ cup of water if the sauce is too thick.26 oz tomato puree, 4 leaves fresh basil
- Bring down to a simmer and cook covered for about 20 minutes.
For the Pasta
- While sauce is cooking, place a pot of water to boil, add salt to water and cook pasta partially, about ¾ of the way cooked (less than al dente. The pasta will continue to cook in the oven.15 oz pasta, ½ tsp salt
- Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water for the assembly. Drain pasta and run under cold water to stop cooking process. Place the pasta in a large bowl or return to empty pot.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350℉ degrees.
- Place about half of the sauce into the bowl with the pasta. Mix well. Add half shredded mozzarella. Mix well.½ cups mozzarella
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, salt and parmesan cheese. Mix well and set aside½ tsp salt, ½ cups ricotta, ½ cups parmesan cheese
- In a medium sized baking dish (9 x 8), layer some sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half of the pasta mixture in the dish. Spread a ¼ of the remaining sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle the more mozzarella on top. top pasta with spoonful's of the ricotta mixture using up half of the mixture.
- Pour the rest of the pasta mixture on top. Top with remaining mozzarella and ricotta cheese. Spread the remaining sauce over pasta. Add some of the reserved pasta water on each corner of the dish allowing it to fall to the bottom.¾ cups pasta water
- Bake at 350°F degrees for 45 minutes covered with foil. You will know when it is done when a fork is easily inserted in the pasta and the pasta is soft. Once the pasta is cooked, remove it from the oven and let it stand for about 15 minutes so that it sets and is easy to scoop and serve.
Notes
Top Tips
Break up your meat with the back of a wooden spoon as it's cooking in the skillet. Cook your pasta al dente, which means "with a bite" or slightly undercooked. Taste before seasoning your tomato sauce. Most store bough tomato puree has added salt to preserve the freshness of the product. Best to taste your sauce before adding salt. If you prepared your ziti ahead of time and are taking it from fridge to oven, allow for approximately another 10 minutes of cook time.Nutrition
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Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check the Government of Canada Food Safety Guidelines or see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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