A saucy, cheesy Baked Ziti Recipe! With a robustly flavored homemade tomato sauce (made with Italian sausage), ricotta and melty, bubbly mozzarella cheese, this is comfort food at its finest.
This is a great, comforting dinner option and tastes great served with a side salad (I like serving it with broccoli salad or caprese salad) and a warm homemade biscuit. Today’s recipe includes a how-to video.
I swore over the weekend that it was going to be nothing but spinach salads and lean protein for me from then on out. The weather in Florida was 75 degrees and sunny and it was easy to promise myself a future of leafy green dinners. Then, I flew home. I arrived to a car covered in 6 inches of snow, an icy driveway, and threats of even more snow this upcoming weekend and I can’t get my comfort food/baked ziti cravings out of my head.
If I’m being honest, I’m sure I’ll be eating baked ziti in the summer, too. Even when it’s 75 degrees here and my shorts are (still) begging me to go green with my diet. But there’s something about chilly winter weather and meteorologists throwing around words like “polar vortex” and “punishing winter weather” that has me craving carb-y comfort food. And this baked ziti checks all the boxes when it comes to comfort food.
It’s cheesy and saucy and you’re going to want a crusty piece of bread for sopping up your plate (spoiler alert! Garlic knots coming Friday for this very purpose!).
There are a lot of different components that make this baked ziti the best I’ve ever had. That gooey, melty, bubbly cheese, the creamy layer of thick ricotta… but what really makes this ziti next-level good is the sauce. We’re not using just any old jar of marinara sauce here. Today we’re making our marinara sauce from scratch (this is very similar to the sauce I use for my stuffed shells). Only one pan is needed to make the sauce and the flavor is worth all 45 seconds it will take for clean-up (and then some).
How to make sauce
We start by cooking our finely diced onion and garlic before adding and browning Italian sausage. You can use sweet or mild Italian sausage depending on your preference, and I’ve been meaning to try it with hot Italian as well.
Add your spices before the meat is totally browned, stirring well as you crumble and cook the sausage. Adding the spices at this point will help to really develop the flavor of the sauce (I use a similar technique with my favorite chili).
Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes; fire roasted are a big plus and definitely worth traveling to a second grocery store for if your regular grocery store is out (at least that’s what I told Zach). We’ll also add a Tablespoon of sugar at this point. Not because I’m a demonstrable sugar addict, but because this will help to cut the acidity from the tomatoes as well as develop the flavor of the sauce.
Cook everything at a simmer until your sauce is thickened then remove from heat and stir in a handful of thinly sliced basil leaves. Voila, a robust and fully-flavored sauce ready for layering in the best baked ziti ever.
Can You Prepare Ahead of Time?
Yes! Prep, assemble, cover tightly with plastic wrap and this baked ziti will keep in the fridge for up to two days prior to baking. More time in the oven will likely be required when you are ready to bake, and I recommend letting the ziti sit on the counter while your oven preheats.
Ingredients
Classic and simple, mostly. The fresher the better (my mom likes to make her own homemade pasta noodles, maybe someday I’ll be as ambitious). To be more specific, you’ll need:
- Ziti noodles (see below for substitutes)
- Bulk Italian sausage (sweet or mild, depending on your own preference)
- Diced onion & minced garlic
- Tomato sauce and fire roasted diced tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses
Can I Use Penne Instead of Ziti?
If you can’t find ziti noodles, penne ones will work just as well! Look, there are plenty of ingredients worth being snobbish about, but using ziti vs penne in baked “ziti” is not one of them. In fact, just about any shape of pasta will work well with this recipe if you can’t find ziti noodles.
Enjoy!
Other Hearty Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb (455 g) Ziti or Penne noodles
- 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 5 cloves minced garlic 1 heaping Tablespoon
- 1 onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 lb (455 g) Italian sausage I’ve used Sweet Italian and Mild
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 28 oz (680 g) tomato sauce
- 14 oz (400 g) can fire roasted diced tomatoes undrained
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil loosely packed
- 1 (280 g) heaping cup ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ cup (60 g) grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and lightly butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Set aside.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions, cook al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water, and mix with two teaspoons of olive oil.1 lb (455 g) Ziti or Penne noodles, 2 Tablespoons + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Meanwhile, prepare your sauce. Heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook until translucent (3-5 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).5 cloves minced garlic, 1 onion
- Add Italian sausage and cook, crumbling, until mostly browned. Once sausage is mostly browned, add Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stirring and cooking until sausage is entirely browned.1 lb (455 g) Italian sausage, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.28 oz (680 g) tomato sauce, 14 oz (400 g) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 3 teaspoons sugar
- Remove from heat and stir in basil.¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
- Spread a small amount of pasta sauce (several spoonfuls, see image in the post or video for visual) on the bottom of prepared casserole dish.
- Layer the sauce with half of the noodles (if some have stuck together while sitting, they should be easy to break apart with your hands). Top with half of the remaining sauce and use a spoon to spread evenly over noodles.
- Dollop ricotta evenly over sauce. Top evenly with remaining noodles and then remaining sauce.1 (280 g) heaping cup ricotta cheese
- Top with mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan. Spray a piece of foil lightly with cooking spray, cover ziti and bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook another 5-10 minutes or until bubbly.1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded Mozzarella cheese, ⅓ cup (60 g) grated parmesan cheese
- Serve warm & enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Renee Schouten
Hi Sam,
Can I use Rotini pasta? or does it need to be penne?
Thanks,
Renee
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Renee! Yes, you can use rotini pasta. I hope that you enjoy the baked ziti. 🙂
Renee Schouten
Awesome! thanks!
Martha
This was an awesome dish! I made it for our (chosen) Family Dinner last night. It was a lot of food for 5 of us. But I was able to freeze some for my husband and I for one day I don’t want to cook.
I made it for the first time yesterday. I used fresh, from our garden, roasted Roma tomatoes. YUM!! It is definitely a keeper!
Sam
Thank you so much, Martha! I am so glad you enjoyed the ziti! 🙂
Hollie
I’ve made this a couple times, I love the sauce. It’s delicious!!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed, Hollie!! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Sarah
Sooooo good-thanks for sharing! I made this and was very well-liked! Leftovers were just as good. I plan on making this instead of a lasagna for guests and as meals to give to people because it was so much easier to make and much tastier! I made ahead of time, placed in fridge, then let warm up on counter before baking later on. Delicious!
Sam
I personally like ziti a lot more than a lasagna because it is so much easier! I hope everyone loves it. 🙂
Julia
Your Baked Ziti recipe is perfectly delicious and full of flavor! My husband and I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for the easy to follow instructions.
Sam
Thank you so much, Julia! I am so glad you everyone enjoyed the ziti! 🙂
Mary Anne
This is delicious! I made it as close to the recipe as I could – didn’t have the fresh basil, but I put some dried basil in the meat sauce. I did add meatloaf mixture and fresh mushrooms along with the Italian sweet sausage.
Thanks, Sam, for all your great recipes! I look forward to hearing from you in my emails! Now, could you share your secret for staying in such good shape while eating all your awesome recipes?!😂😂
Sam
Hi, Mary Anne! I am so glad you enjoyed the ziti, and I hope you love the emails. I’m working on my moderation, hopefully it’s working. 🙂
Patti
How much dried basil if you don’t have anything fresh basil?
Mary Anne
I just sprinkled some in the sauce. I taste as I go, but I think I used about a tblsp. Start with less, and add to taste.
Jesse
I just made your most delish baked ziti and boy-o-boy was it ever! So yummy and cheesy and AMAZING! I subbed ground beef for sausage b/c that’s what I had in my fridge and I didn’t want to make yet another store run. Anyways… we loved it and love your savory recipes! My diet on the other hand.,, not so happy…LOL!
Sam
YAY I’m so happy to hear that it was such a hit!! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out for you, Jesse!! <3
Jk
Can I substitute with ground beef instead of Italian sausage?
Sam
Yes that would be fine. Enjoy! 🙂
Annie
In the instructions, Step 1 & Step 2, we’re buttering the same 9 x 13 casserole twice!
That being said, it sounds wonderful and I’m gonna be making this tomorrow!
Sam
Haha WHOOPS! Thanks Annie, fixed! I hope you love the Ziti! <3
Noya
Just celebrate my mom’s 66 birthday and had bake ziti and broccoli salad for dinner it was a hit with everyone thanks
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed, Noya!! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out, and Happy Birthday to your mom!
Jo
This looks delish I like the edges to get a little brown and crunchy so much easier To put together than lasagna
Sam
I hope you love it, Jo! 🙂
Sue Shafer
this is delicious; Liked it.
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed, Sue!! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
Cynthia
I’m making this for tonight. A New England Delight! haha. I especially enjoyed reading your write up… got a chuckle too. Have a great week, stay warm and cozy! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Cynthia
Sam
I hope you love it, Cynthia! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and you have a great week and stay warm, too! <3
cynthia
🥗🍷 🍽 💕
Barb
This ziti looks delicious! On my way to the store to buy ingredients to make for dinner tonight-perfect meal for a 30 degree day in the north east!
Sam
It is the PERFECT cold weather food! I hope you love it, Barb! 🙂
Heather
Baked Ziti is my favorite dish! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Sam
I hope you love it, Heather!! 🙂