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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Followed recipe almost to a T and it was delicious! I switched up the cheeses because I only had cheddar and mozzarella, and we have venison Octoberfest sausages. So I used cheddar in the sauce and in middle layer and mozarella on the top. Kids ate it up and hubby said it was restaurant quality! He would only like mushrooms added to it next time, but not a deal breaker. It’s in my personal recipe book with ‘Potluck Go To’ written beside it!
Does this recipe taste creamy? My husband has a real aversion to creamy dishes, but I can sneak it in if it doesn’t taste creamy. Thank you!
I don’t think it tastes overly creamy (but it is cheesy). Hope that helps!
I’m looking for a meatless ziti. Would this recipe work if I omit the sausage?
Hi Melissa, Several readers have commented that they’ve made vegetarian versions of this and have added sauteed veggies (like bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) in place of the sausage. That said, I really prefer this with sausage because it adds so much flavor. You may want to consider this lasagna recipe instead. Hope that helps!
I agree that it tastes cheesy not creamy. I’m not a huge tomato fan so loved how the cream toned that down.
It came out great. I thought the recipe called for onion so I chopped it and added it before I cooked the garlic. I used hot sausage.
Othersise I followed the recipe.
Can this be made in a slow cooker? If so how would you suggest?
Hi Tina, I don’t have experience with a slow cooker, but because of the pasta, my gut tells me this would not be a good candidate for one. Sorry!
Hi Jenn! I traditionally have made ziti with ricotta but see your recipe calls for heavy cream instead. Just curious if there is a reason behind this swap and/or if you suggest adding ricotta as well. Thank you!
Hi Lucy, I know ricotta is traditional for baked ziti, but I leave it out because it has a tendency to get dry and grainy when baked. I use heavy cream to add richness instead. I’d suggest going that route and I think you’ll really like it! 🙂
Hi! Can I use a marinara sauce that I already prepared ahead of time instead of crushed tomatoes? Also, have you ever added spinach?
Hi Jamie, yes, you can use the marinara sauce but you may need to cut back on the added salt depending upon how salty your marinara is. And I have never added spinach but a few readers have commented that they have. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn!
I just want you to know what a Godsend your website and cookbook have been for me the past few months. As a Nurse working during this time and a “want to be Professional Chef,” I have yet to make any of your recipes, without substitutions, that I, nor my family wouldn’t give 10 stars if possible. Your recipes are all amazing and complex tasting, but not complex to make. I find so much joy and relaxation at the end of a long day to come home and cook any recipe of yours, knowing that I don’t need an emergency frozen pizza “just in case!” Every single time that I serve your meals, I get rants and raves from picky eaters who proclaim it’s their new favorite. This recipe is already being requested for breakfast, lunch, and supper tomorrow… 😎 For a few minutes after serving and enjoying your recipes, I get to forget my long days in the hospital surrounded by sick patients… I get to have my dream career as an amazing chef and mama. I have brought several of your meals to the hospital for coworkers and always recommend your cookbook and website after they tell me I’m in the wrong profession (if only I could take the credit 😂)!
Thank you, Jenn! I hope that you and your beautiful family have a safe and wonderful Holiday Season! ❤️
I wait patiently for your next cookbook 🙈
Hi Kim, First, thanks so much for what you do working on the front lines during this incredibly scary time. And thanks for your nice words about the recipes — so glad you and your family enjoy them and they give you a reprieve at the end of a long and stressful day – I appreciate you taking the time to let me know; you made my day! 🙂
AMAZING!!
This had such GREAT flavor. I made it yesterday and served to the family—they loved it and asked for the recipe. It was also very easy to make.
It was delicious and now our family’s favorite pasta dish! All four of us loved it from our picky youngster to our teenager. It made 6-8 servings so we even had it for dinner the next night. We prefer a bit more sauce in our pasta dishes so I used only 1 lb of sausage, and a bit less pasta. I also added dried Italian seasoning and everyone raved. Don’t skip the basil! Thank you Jenn!!
This was so easy and delicious! I used 2 pounds of sweet Italian sausage, just easier than saving the half pound. It turned out fine. Will use this as my go to Ziti recipe. Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
Hope all is well with you and your family.
I’m an avid follower and recently challenged our family to each deliver one of your dinners once a month to the each of us. The key being the dinners must be re-heatable and good to be served for three days. Including my wife Barbara and I, we have four families. Our home, Dad and Moms along with my two sisters homes are all within 2 miles of each other. Sunday October, 18th was the first week and we made/delivered your Baked Ziti with Sausage. They all served it today, Monday and loved the dish! Thanks for sharing your great recipes with us! Especially during these trying times the recipes have kept us busy in the kitchen! Be Well. Michael
What a great plan (and so glad to hear the ziti was a hit)! 🙂