Baked Ziti
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My baked ziti skips the ricotta for a silkier, creamier sauce that never bakes up dry or grainy. Made with Italian sausage, it’s easy enough for a weeknight and hearty enough for a crowd.
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 Italian sausage does a lot of the heavy lifting here, giving the sauce deep flavor without a long ingredient list. It’s doable on a weeknight yet special enough to serve to company, and it’s also a fantastic make-ahead potluck dish.
What really sets this version apart from most baked ziti recipes is what’s not in it: ricotta. I know that’s the classic approach, but after lots of testing, I landed on a cream-based sauce instead—and I think it makes for a better dish. More on why below.
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!
“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.”
Why I skip The Ricotta
Most baked ziti recipes call for dolloping in ricotta, but baked at high heat, it tends to dry out and turn grainy—exactly the texture problem people worry about with baked ziti. So instead, I build the sauce with heavy cream and grated cheese. Stirred into the whole dish rather than dolloped throughout, it coats every piece of pasta evenly and keeps the ziti moist, down to the last leftover bite.
What You’ll Need to Make Baked Ziti
- Ziti noodles – Rigatoni or penne work fine too; look for a ridged shape that holds onto sauce.
- Italian sausage – Bulk sausage is easiest to crumble, but links work if you remove the casings first. Sweet or spicy, your call.
- Garlic: Adds savory depth to the sauce.
- Canned crushed tomatoes – The base of the sauce.
- Salt, sugar, and red pepper flakes – The sugar balances the acidity of the tomatoes; don’t skip it.
- Heavy cream – Stands in for ricotta here (see above).
- Pecorino Romano – Parmigiano Reggiano works as a substitute if that’s what you have.
- Pecorino Romano: Lends a sharp and salty flavor. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can be substituted if needed.
- Fresh Basil: Adds a fresh, aromatic finish.
- Mozzarella Cheese: 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, use pre-shredded mozzarella; just be sure it is made from whole milk, not part-skim.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the noodles. Since the ziti finishes cooking in the oven, boil it a few minutes short of al dente on the stovetop—it’ll continue cooking in the casserole dish and won’t turn mushy by the time it’s done baking.
Step 2: Make the sauce. Brown the sausage first, then use the same pan (with just a bit of the rendered fat left behind) to soften the garlic and simmer the tomatoes. Finish the sauce with cream, cheese, and basil.
Step 3: Combine the sauce and pasta. Pour the sauce into the pot with the drained pasta and stir gently until every piece is coated—this is what keeps the ziti from baking up dry in spots.
Step 4: Assemble and bake. Spread half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish, then sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and pecorino. Top with the remaining pasta mixture and the rest of the cheese. Layering it this way—rather than stirring all the cheese in at once—gives you a stretchy, melted layer running through the middle of the dish, not just on top. Bake until bubbling and browned.
Baked ziti can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days before baking. It can also be frozen before or after baking, for up to 3 months. See the recipe card notes below for freezing and reheating instructions.
More Classic Italian Dishes You’ll Love
Video Tutorial
Baked Ziti
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 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 (220°C) and set the oven rack in the middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Crumble the 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 can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the cream, ⅓ cup (33 g) of the pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and 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 (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) and half the remaining pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) 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.
Notes
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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.
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Am I able to do all the steps up to baking it in the oven and freeze this dish for future use?
Sure!
Hi Jenn,
Can this be made a day ahead and cooked just before dinner?
Sure, Mary, that will work. Enjoy!
Fantastic!!! It’s easy but does take a little time to prepare, although not nearly as long as traditional Ziti recipes. Loved, loved, loved it…. so did my husband. Will definitely make it again. I didn’t change a thing in the recipe. Why would you….it is perfect!
I’m planning to make this tomorrow, but no fresh basil at my store. If I use dried, how much would you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Carol, I’d probably just use a teaspoon in the sauce. Hope you enjoy it!
Came out great!
Made this tonight and was a huge hit with my husband… it’s only the two of us so l divided it up into two casserole dishes and froze the other for another night. Followed the recipe and was not disappointed… I used 1/2 spicy Italian sausage and 1/2 regular Italian sausage so I skipped the red peppers and it was perfect.
Hi Jen,
A dear friend passed away and I am anxious to support his family with some home cooked meals that are either heated up easily or frozen–with delicious results. This seems like a good one. Which of your recipes fit this bill the best and what directions would you provide for the family for thawing/ heating? You are the best, by the way!
Norah, I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your friend! Yes, the Baked Ziti is a good candidate for freezing; I’d suggest that you assemble and freeze it unbaked. Let your friends know that when they’re ready to cook it, to defrost the fridge for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe. Some other good options for freezing are: Salmon Cakes, Thai Butternut Squash Soup, and Italian Meatloaf. Each of these recipes has guidance for freezing in the recipe instructions. Hope that helps!
My husband and I love your recipes. I could never get him to eat chicken until I found your recipes. I can’t wait for your book to come out. I would love to make this recipe but we do not eat pork. Do you have any suggestions? I would really like to make this.
Hi Stacey, so glad you and your husband are enjoying the recipes and that he is now officially a chicken eater! You can use either chicken or turkey sausage in place of the pork. Please LMK how it turns out!
So delicious. This will be added to my recipe collection.
I Made this for my family tonight, and it was delicious. I agree that using cream rather than ricotta is the way to go. All of the baked ziti I’ve made in the past dried up and flaked because of the ricotta. I think stirring mascarpone into the tomato mixture instead of cream would also be delicious. The fresh basil really made this dish. I tucked fresh mozzarella pearls in as I was layering and added slices of fresh mozzarella to the top instead of whole milk mozzarella, and it melted beautifully. This will definitely be added to my regular recipe rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
Jenn,
You’ve done it again! Super easy.super great!. I liked the substitution of cream for ricotta and it produced the expected results. Much creamier.
Funny story. I was making this for a family get together. Mom asked if I had made it before as she wanted everything perfect for the family. I told, Mom it’s from once upon a chef. She knew of the other 5 things I’ve made from your recipes. Enuff said. She was in.
Thanks again
P.S I’ve been posting all this to your Instagram page @onceuponachef
Glad you enjoyed it (and thanks for the confidence both you and your mom have in my recipes)! 🙂