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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Fabulous! Made this dish along with the “Pair With” dishes you suggested – Big Italian Salad and Rosemary Focaccia – for Valentines dinner lastnight fo0r my family. YUMMMMM was the feedback 🙂
Thanks Jenn!!
Hi Jennifer,
Would it be OK to put this recipe together the day before baking it?
Sure – hope you enjoy!
This is one of my new favorite recipes. We are having a luncheon for the teachers at my son’s school next week, and this is what I signed up to bring. Wondering the best way to serve it in a crock pot so it will stay warm…bake first and then transfer to crock pot, or bake it directly in the crock and keep it warm in the crock pot? Advice appreciated!
P.S. I find I can’t cook anymore unless I’m using one of your recipes!
So glad you like this recipe enough to share it with the teachers at your son’s school! I would suggest baking it first and then keeping it warm in the crockpot. Hope they all enjoy it!
I baked it first in the crock and then put it straight into the crockpot to keep it warm. I’m not sure when it was eaten, but when I picked up the dish 6 hours after I dropped it off, there was a scoop left. The ziti was really big. Didn’t taste it at this point, but I’ll just assume the ziti gets really mushy with this method. In the future, I’d say this is better eaten straight away or even at room temperature over the crock pot method described above.
Thanks so much for the follow-up, Sally! Definitely good for other readers to know.
I made this recipe exactly and it was a big hit at the Super Bowl party. I made two casseroles and baked at 450 as written, then baked the 2nd at 425 (because the first had baked/burned bottom and edges. So for my oven this slightly lower temperature was better. And it was an awesome dish. Love it and will make again! Thank you Jen!!
Easy and delicious! I’ve been trying to incorporate more veggies into our meals so I added some peeled, diced eggplant that I sautéed in the pan after cooking the Italian sausage. My daughter ate it all up and didn’t even notice the eggplant because it sort of melted into the dish after baking. We are adding this dish to our regular rotation.
This was so easy and delicious, in the time it takes to cook the pasta you can do the rest of it. It would be a great weeknight meal or a dish to bring to a party. My whole family enjoyed this.
This was delicious!! Made this tonight for dinner and my family loved it. I sort of live in the middle of nowhere and was not able to find all of the ingredients. I substituted the romano cheese with parmigiana reggiano and the whole milk mozzarella with part skim. I also used sweet turkey sausage and it turned out great!
I also want to personally thank you for making mealtime in my home so special. I having been cooking my way through your blog and my husband now knows we don’t question Jenn! I triple love your recipes and can’t wait for your cookbook!!
That is so sweet, Shami. So happy your family is enjoying the recipes! ❤️
I love this baked ziti, I usually double the sauce because we like it a little saucier in my house, but it’s delicious!
The first time I made this dish, I prepared it ahead of time to leave in the fridge for my parents and kids while my husband and I went out of town. My parents raved about it. I also made it for a family who had just lost their father. It’s a perfect dish to make for people who need some support and care. It’s delicous and easy to make.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for creating amazing recipes with ingredients that I have in my kitchen. I never seem to please my whole family but when I make your dishes, they gobble it up! The baked ziti was absolutely spectacular – hubby said it tasted better the next day. Followed your recipe exactly and I can’t wait to make it again.