Tubular pasta baked with a rich marinara and ricotta filling, topped with melted mozzarella, a classic Italian-American comfort casserole.
Baked ziti is a staple of Italian-American home cooking and church potlucks, built on tubular ziti pasta tossed with a rich tomato sauce, dollops of ricotta cheese, and mozzarella, then baked until the top turns golden and bubbling. It occupies a similar comfort-food space to lasagna but comes together faster, since there's no need to layer individual pasta sheets -- the ziti tubes and sauce are simply mixed together before baking. The technique that matters is undercooking the pasta slightly before baking, since it continues to cook in the oven as it absorbs the sauce -- pasta cooked to full al dente beforehand often turns mushy by the time the casserole finishes baking. Dolloping the ricotta mixture throughout rather than fully stirring it in creates pockets of creamy richness distributed evenly through the dish, and a generous layer of mozzarella on top is essential for the golden, bubbling finish that defines a great baked ziti. Served hot from the oven, baked ziti is crowd-feeding, make-ahead-friendly comfort food -- a fixture of American family dinners, particularly in Italian-American communities in the Northeast.
Serves 6
Boil ziti in salted water 2 minutes less than the package directions, so it stays slightly undercooked. Drain.
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion 5 minutes until soft, add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add ground beef or sausage, cooking until browned, about 6-8 minutes.
Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.
Combine ricotta, egg, and parmesan in a bowl.
Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Toss cooked ziti with the meat sauce. Transfer half to a baking dish, dollop half the ricotta mixture over, then repeat with remaining pasta and ricotta.
Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden.
Let rest 5-10 minutes, garnish with fresh basil, and serve.
Undercook the pasta slightly before baking -- it continues cooking in the oven and can turn mushy if fully al dente going in.
Dollop the ricotta mixture in pockets rather than fully stirring it into the sauce, creating creamy pockets throughout the finished dish.
Let the casserole rest for a few minutes after baking so it sets slightly and is easier to serve in neat portions.
Make it vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding sauteed mushrooms and spinach.
Use a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage for extra flavor complexity.
Add a layer of sliced pepperoni under the mozzarella for a pizza-inspired variation.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat covered in a 180C/350F oven for 20-25 minutes, or microwave individual portions. Freezes well up to 3 months, baked or unbaked.
Baked ziti is a staple of Italian-American cuisine, developed by Italian immigrant communities in the United States adapting traditional pasta bakes into a hearty, crowd-feeding dish suited to American family gatherings and potlucks.
Yes -- assemble the casserole up to a day ahead, refrigerate, and bake when ready, adding about 10 extra minutes to the covered baking time since it will start cold.
It likely needed more sauce, or was baked too long uncovered. Make sure the pasta is well coated in sauce before assembling, and check for doneness a few minutes early.
Yes -- penne or rigatoni both work well as substitutes for ziti, since they're similar tubular shapes that hold sauce nicely.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 6 servings total
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