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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I made this recipe for dinner last night and it was definitely a family pleaser! I have two toddlers so finding a meal for my husband and I and one that the girls will also eat can be a challenge. What I love most about this recipe is that is is an easy make ahead recipe. Just pop it in the oven when ready to serve! Plus it makes a lot! Jenn your recipes NEVER fail us! We eat from your cookbooks every week! So thank you for helping me feed my family.
Any idea how well this might work with chicken sausage? I often serve a group, but one of our members doesn’t eat beef or pork, so I’m on the hunt for alternatives that can still provide the umami that I imagine pork sausage does in this recipe.
Hi Danielle, It should work well. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jenn- love your recipes and we just enjoyed two of your sides from the new cookbook last night. I have an intolerance to cream. Funny enough I can eat cheese- it must be the cultures. I know ricotta is not preferred for this recipe but if I had to substitute, how much ricotta would I use in place of the cream?
Hi Danielle, glad you like the recipes! If you need to use ricotta, I’d recommend the same amount (so 1 cup). Enjoy!
What can I use instead of sausage? Its hard to find italian sausage in Korea
Hi Soun, You can get away with using ground beef here; just make sure it’s well seasoned as the sausage has a lot of seasoning. Enjoy!
I want to make a vegetarian version using Impossible Burger or Beyond Burger. I don’t know what spices and herbs are used to make hot Italian sausage as I have never eaten any. What spices and herbs do you recommend? Thank you!
Hi Beth, I would add — a bit of oregano, Italian seasoning, whole or ground fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Hope that helps!
Hosted friends for dinner yesterday and it was easy to make, not time consuming, and incredibly flavorful! I love how reliable and consistent Jenn’s recipes are. Another 5 star recipe!
I can’t find mozzarella cheese labeled “whole milk”, everything is “part skim”. Would really appreciate knowing what kind of cheese everyone is using. Thanks!
Hi Jane, the package may not actually specify “whole milk” on it; it may just say mozzarella cheese. Have you seen that anywhere?
Made this for dinner tonight- added a container of sliced mushrooms and sliced bell pepper to the sausage while browning and wilted 1 bag of spinach just before removing from the pan. Was amazing! Hubby had 3 servings 😍
Made this as is and was perfectly seasoned and enjoyed by all. Question: Is there a way to make this vegetarian?
So glad you liked it! 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 have made a similar dish with grilled vegetables like peppers, broccoli and zucchini and no meat. Very yummy !
Absolutely delicious!! It comes together so quickly, too!! I will definitely make this again.
I’m making this for the 10th time probably by now for Saturday. What’s the earliest I can make this without freezing?
I’d say you could make this about 2 days in advance. Glad to hear this has been on repeat!
Yum.
Nice, but a little bland. Do not much like the cream, not enough tomato flavor. Used salt free tomatoes, but still too salty – maybe due to sausages. Will make again with a few adjustments. Fairly easy, a little over one hour.