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Home » Food » Recipes » Main Dishes » Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese (and meat sauce)

Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese (and meat sauce)

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Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sauce
Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sauce
Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sauce

Baked ziti with ricotta and meat sauce is classic comfort food, and it will become one of your family’s favorite meals.

Closeup of baked ziti in white casserole dish

If you are looking for a hearty, cheesy, comforting family dinner that is a slam dunk with even the pickiest eaters, you came to the right place.😉👌🏻 This one is perfect to put in the family dinners rotation. 

Plus, it makes a bunch, so you are setting yourself up for some leftovers (most likely).

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.

Ingredients with label text on white surface

To make this baked ziti recipe, you will need the following:

  • ziti or penne pasta
  • olive oil
  • Italian sausage or ground beef
  • garlic
  • marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
  • ricotta cheese
  • egg
  • mozzarella cheese
  • Parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil
  • Italian seasoning
  • salt and pepper

Store-bought marinara is perfectly fine, or you can use homemade if you want. 

You can also substitue ground beef (seasoned generously with garlic powder, salt and pepper) for the sausage in a pinch.

In a pinch, I have also made the ricotta mixture without an egg, and it still works fine.

Of course, for best results, follow the original recipe as is.

How to make baked ziti

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in a pinch of salt. Pour in the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente then drain the pasta using a colander.cooked pasta draining in a strainer

Drizzle pasta with a little olive oil and toss so it doesn’t stick together. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat up a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Once the pan is hot, add the Italian sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until it is no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. For the last minute of cooking, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

wooden spoon stirring cooked meat in a pan

Use a spoon (or even paper towels) to remove any excess fat from the pan and discard the excess fat and set the cooked sausage aside.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine together the ricotta, egg, ¾ cup of  mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, basil and Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. 

making ricotta filling in a clear bowl with a spoon

Reserve ½ cup of the marinara sauce and then add the rest of  the marinara, cooked sausage and ricotta to the bowl with the pasta and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed. 

baked ziti ingredient piles in a large pot

Now it’s time to assemble baked ziti in a baking dish. Here is how to do it.

Spread the reserved ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Pour half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce and top with half of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

hand sprinkling cheese on baked ziti

Repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese. 

unbaked ziti with cheese on top

Place the baked ziti into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty and the edges and top are slightly golden brown. 

spoon scooping out baked ziti from a casserole dish

Remove, let cook, garnish with some chopped basil, serve hot and enjoy!

a serving of baked ziti in a bowl with a spoon

Y’all let me know if you try it.

FAQs

How can I keep baked ziti from drying out?

Follow the recipe ingredients exactly to ensure the correct ratio of sauce to pasta, and you should have the perfect texture.

Should I bake ziti covered or uncovered?

This recipe works best baking uncovered.

Do you have to boil the pasta before baking?

Yes, this recipe boils the pasta before baking. This ensures the casserole isn’t dried out, and it provides the best, most consistent texture.

What does adding an egg to ricotta cheese do?

Adding the egg simply helps hold/ bind the casserole together a bit better to prevent oozing when you are serving. That being said, it is still perfectly delicious without an egg.

How can I store baked ziti? Can I freeze it?

Store in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. Yes, you can freeze. I recommend preparing the baked ziti casserole through all the assembly steps, and do not bake it. Freeze it prior to the baking steps, and make sure it is well covered. Thaw it and bake it when you get ready to enjoy it.

What sides go well with baked ziti?

I love baked ziti with french bread or homemade sourdough bread and any of my green salads from my salad recipe archives. I really like the Italian chopped salad or Greek salad to serve with this recipe.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes! I recommend preparing everything all the way through the assembly steps, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it.

Other recipes you may enjoy

If you liked this baked ziti recipe, here are some similar recipes you may enjoy.

  • Lazy lasagna
  • Chicken pesto pasta
  • Shrimp scampi linguine
  • Pasta primavera
  • Pasta e fagioli soup
  • Caprese orzo pasta salad
  • Tortellini soup
  • Chicken pasta bake
  • Chicken tetrazzini casserole
  • Lasagna soup

Baked Ziti Recipe

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Closeup of baked ziti in white casserole dish
5 from 7 votes
Print

Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sacue

Baked ziti with ricotta and meat sauce is classic comfort food, and it will become one of your family's favorite meals! Easy and tasty👌🏻

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword baked ziti, baked ziti recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 569 kcal
Author Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ziti or penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil – plus more to drizzle over pasta to prevent sticking
  • 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef
  • 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
  • 32 oz marinara sauce homemade or store bought
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Chopped basil – optional for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in a pinch of salt. Pour in the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente then drain the pasta using a colander. Drizzle pasta with a little olive oil and toss so it doesn’t stick together. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and set aside.
  3. While the pasta is cooking you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat up a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the Italian sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until it is no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. For the last minute of cooking, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Use a spoon to remove any excess fat from the pan and discard the excess fat and set the cooked sausage aside.
  4. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine together the ricotta, egg, ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, basil and Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Reserve ½ cup of the sauce and then add the rest of the marinara, cooked sausage and ricotta to the bowl with the pasta and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
  6. Spread the reserved ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Pour half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce and top with half of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese.
  7. Place the baked ziti into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty and the edges and top are slightly golden brown.
  8. Remove, let cook, garnish with some chopped basil, serve hot and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

We used Italian turkey sausage for this recipe, and that was used in the calculation. Using pork sausage is delicious too, but will change the nutritional value.

Nutrition Facts
Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sacue
Amount Per Serving
Calories 569 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 108mg36%
Sodium 1495mg65%
Potassium 718mg21%
Carbohydrates 54g18%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 34g68%
Vitamin A 1140IU23%
Vitamin C 26mg32%
Calcium 403mg40%
Iron 8mg44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan Timmerman says

    March 10, 2023 at 7:25 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for my friend and I for movie night! Simple to make and absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      March 13, 2023 at 12:35 pm

      Yay Megan! Glad to hear it❤️

      Reply
  2. Kendall says

    October 11, 2022 at 5:42 pm

    5 stars
    made this last night and it was incredible!!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 17, 2022 at 8:48 am

      Woo hoooo! So happy to hear that.❤️🙌🏻

      Reply
  3. Victoria Gavriloff says

    August 23, 2022 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    Currently 6 months pregnant. I’ve been craving baked Ziti. This was amazing!!! Definitely satisfied my craving.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      August 29, 2022 at 10:08 am

      Yay Victoria!❤️

      Reply
  4. Donna says

    July 21, 2022 at 3:53 pm

    5 stars
    D-lish, I used Gluten free ziti and stood up well against pasta, even my guests couldn’t tell.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      July 25, 2022 at 9:42 am

      Yay Donna! I am so happy to hear that.🥰👍🏻

      Reply
  5. Chris Santa Ana says

    December 5, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    Trying this one tonight. My wife and her best friend are at a casino and coming home tonight. Planning on having this ready for them when they get here. This has been so easy and looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      December 9, 2021 at 7:57 am

      I hope y’all enjoyed it!

      Reply
      • Chris says

        December 24, 2021 at 3:16 pm

        5 stars
        It was great. In fact, we doing it again for XMAS Eve dinner. I did notice in the recipe it calls for shredded Parmesan, but the pic looks like grated. Curious if it should be shredded or grated. I think the last one I used grated.

        Reply
        • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

          December 28, 2021 at 9:51 am

          Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Either grated or shredded will both work great, and I have used both.

          Reply
  6. Kristen Dollason says

    October 15, 2021 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing recipe. Easy and delicious. Comfort food at it’s best!

    Reply
    • Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says

      October 22, 2021 at 7:03 am

      Yay! I am glad you enjoyed it, Kristen❤️

      Reply
    • Janet says

      April 8, 2022 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      I LOVE good ziti, but, alas, hadn’t found one… until now! This is much simpler than most and the taste is amazing! Thank you so much!

      Reply

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I am a home cook, recipe developer, coffee drinker, wife and mom of two. My recipes are simple and tasty. I enjoy lots of fresh, healthy food, plus full treats without guilt. Thanks so much for stopping by! Read more here.

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