Baked Ziti
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
Whip up my easy, crowd-pleasing baked ziti recipe—it’s perfect for cozy weeknights yet special enough for company, and an absolute superstar at potlucks!
Photo by Johnny Miller, (Clarkson Potter, 2021)
This baked ziti is a MAJOR crowd-pleaser, whether I’m hosting a family gathering or cooking for my son’s college friends (I usually double the recipe in that case!). In fact, I love it so much that it’s featured proudly on the cover of my second cookbook! The secret to its uniqueness lies in using Italian sausage, which is a shortcut to incredible flavor, and skipping the ricotta cheese, which tends to have a grainy texture in traditional baked ziti. The recipe is doable on a weeknight yet special enough to serve to company, and it’s also a fantastic make-ahead potluck dish.
If you’re looking to save time, you can opt for pre-shredded mozzarella cheese from a bag; just make sure it’s the whole milk version (the low-fat version isn’t nearly as good). As the baked ziti works its magic in the oven, throw together a big Italian salad and warm some garlic bread, and you’re ready to feast!
Table of Contents
“Simply outstanding…I made the ziti for a huge birthday party I hosted for a member of my family. Everyone (ages 5 to 91) devoured it.”
What You’ll Need to Make Baked Ziti
- Ziti Noodles: The main pasta component of the dish; rigatoni or penne can used as well.
- Italian Sausage: Bulk sausage is ideal as it can be easily crumbled, but you can also use sausage with casings, removing them before cooking.
- Garlic: Enhances the overall flavor of the sauce.
- Canned Crushed Tomatoes: Form the base of the tomato sauce, providing a rich and tangy flavor.
- Salt, Sugar, Red Pepper Flakes: Seasonings that balance the flavors of the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess and richness to the tomato sauce.
- Pecorino Romano: Offers a sharp and salty flavor. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can be substituted if needed.
- Fresh Basil: Provides a fresh and aromatic flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Contributes to the cheesy, gooey, and indulgent texture of the baked ziti.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the Noodles
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the 1 lb of ziti noodles according to the package instructions until a few minutes shy of al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and crumble the 1½ lbs sausage into the pan.
Cook the sausage, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate.
Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the 4 cloves minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute.
Stir in the 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the 1 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup of the pecorino Romano, and 1/3 cup basil to the pan.
Then stir in the cooked sausage.
Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine.
Step 3: Assemble & Bake
Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella (1 cup) and half of the remaining pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons).
Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella (1 cup) and pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons).
Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole milk mozzarella is best. You can purchase a plastic-wrapped brick of mozzarella (usually sold in the dairy case) and shred it yourself. To make it easier to work with, pop it in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes prior to shredding. Or, to save time time, it’s perfectly fine to use pre-shredded mozzarella; just be sure it is made from whole milk. Avoid fresh buffalo mozzarella, which is best suited for salads.
Yes, the dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance. Bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.
Absolutely! Baked ziti is a great candidate for freezing, and it can be frozen for up to 3 months before or after baking. If you freeze before baking, thaw the dish in the refrigerator overnight and bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F (220°C) oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout. To freeze after baking, let the dish cool completely, then cut it into individual portions or leave it whole. Wrap the portions tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place them in an airtight container. To reheat, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake until heated through.
You May Also Like
Video Tutorial
Baked Ziti
Whip up my easy, crowd-pleasing baked ziti recipe—it’s perfect for cozy weeknights yet special enough for company, and an absolute superstar at potlucks!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti noodles
- 1½ lbs ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or removed from casings)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup plus 3 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano) cheese, divided
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
- 8 oz whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 1 lb of ziti noodles and cook according to the package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. (It will continue to cook in the oven so you want to undercook it just a bit.) Drain and add the pasta back to the pot. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and set the oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the 1½ lbs of sausage into the pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan and set over low heat (if you don't have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil). Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons sugar and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the 1 cup cream, ⅓ cup of the pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and ⅓ cup basil to the pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella (1 cup) and half the remaining pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella (1 cup) and pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with more basil and serve.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days in advance, or frozen for up to 3 months. (If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight.) Whether refrigerated or frozen and defrosted, bake, covered tightly with aluminum foil, in a 425°F oven for 25 minutes. Then uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is lightly browned and the pasta is hot throughout.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (10 servings)
- Calories: 613
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Sodium: 913 mg
- Cholesterol: 111 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Made your Baked Ziti with Sausage recently. DELICIOUS! To the canned tomatoes called for, I added a couple chopped fresh tomatoes that I had on hand and which needed to be used plus I increased the sausage amount to 2 pounds, but everything else was done exactly as your recipe specified. So very good! Thank you for this great recipe. Caryn Wiggins
Delicious and very easy to make. I made it a day ahead and put it in the fridge for easy baking the following night. I used sweet sausage since that’s all I had thawed and ready to cook, but next time I will try it with a mix of sweet and spicy. It was delicious but I like the little kick the spicy sausage gives. Another regular rotation dinner for our household now.
I love this pasta for my family as written hence the five stars. I also hardly use any other recipes than Jenn’s. We do prefer meatloaf mix to the sausage and sometimes I use pre-grated cheese and it works just fine for us. Tonight I had a happy accident that I was making hidden veggie pasta sauce for my non-veggie eating family by finely chopping onion, celery, carrot, and a little apple and zucchini, added a big can of crushed tomato, tomato sauce bay leaves, salt pepper, sugar, cream, blended it, then added penne. I remembered this recipe so threw it in a casserole dish with cheeses, baked and broiled it. It was delicious and got my family to eat veggies! So this was a great dish that can also hide veggies in instead of using meat.
Love this idea, Janet!
I made this last night, cutting the recipe down to 1/3 as I’m cooking for two. It was delicious, but needed a bit more sauce. Next time I’ll make more. Love your site!
I’ve made this twice and we can’t get enough of it. I add half of a sweet onion with the garlic then spinach and mushrooms before adding the meat and cream to the sauce. I came across your recipe when I had to find something to do with one of those HUGE cans of crushed tomatoes. TYSM!! ☺️
I’ve never left an online review for anything… ever. But it’s worth sharing that thanks to this dish I’m now “the best cooker ever” according to my three year old who also called it “my favorite in the whole world.” My five year old proclaimed it the best thing I’ve ever made… soooo…. yeah. Thanks for a family winner. 🙂
😊
Wow! I made this tonight and everyone in my family loved it. This one is definitely a winner and I will be making it again soon. Spicy, cheesy, creamy, and SO satisfying! I made the recipe exactly as written except I only used one pound of hot Italian sausage. I thought it was enough meat for us. I don’t think I would skimp on any of the other ingredients though. Thanks Jenn for another amazing recipe!
Loved this recipe! Added some ricotta and it was delicious!
Was looking for a recipe to make for my sister who just had foot surgery and is unable to move around a lot. I decided on this one because I’ve had great success with all of the recipes on this site. I made two of them, one for my sister, and one for my family. I got half sweet Italian sausage and half spicy Italian sausage from my butcher. I also didn’t have enough fresh basil for two dishes, so I added a bit of dried basil and Italian seasoning in the mix. Also didn’t read the part about the mozzarella cheese and ended up getting pre-shredded. Because that’s all the store had, at the time. I didn’t seem to have a problem with it melting, but I will definitely use the suggested cheese, next time. It got rave reviews from my sister, and rave reviews from my husband and my twin boys! I have one twin who is highly picky with food, and he absolutely loved it. Yay! I will definitely keep this in my rotation and maybe try ground beef next time, as well. Thank you for the great recipe!!
We have made this many times since discovering Jenn and her Once Upon a Chef website about six months ago. The Baked Ziti is delicious, and that is an understatement. Perfect comfort food on a cold night for friends and family.
Made this tonight for dinner. Family lost their minds over this baked Ziti. I used half hamburger and half Italian sausage and they loved it! I will definitely make it again.
I made this ziti for a potluck. Outstanding! Thanks, Jenn!
Wow! I made this tonight and everyone in my family loved it. This one is definitely a winner and I will be making it again soon. Spicy, cheesy, creamy, and SO satisfying! I made the recipe exactly as written except I only used one pound of hot Italian sausage. I thought it was enough meat for us. I don’t think I would skimp on any of the other ingredients though. Thanks Jenn for another amazing recipe!
Hey Jenn,
I’m a big fan of yours. I’m making this tonight and wonder how’d it turn out if I left the sausage in it’s casting?
Sorry just seeing this now, Tricia. I prefer to take the sausage out of the casing so I can break it up more easily. But it’s fine to leave it in if you don’t mind bigger chunks of sausage. Hope that helps! 😊