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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Fantastic and easy. One of the few dishes where everyone went back for seconds. I added the sausage at the end so I could keep 1/4 the dish vegetarian for my daughter. Good for groups.
Easy to make and delicious! I made this for girls night and they loved it so much they asked for the recipe. I’m also making this for Thanksgiving side dish!
Ten Stars!! So good! I initially thought it would need some Italian seasoning but the spicy sausage and fresh basil were perfect! The sauce is superb! I used extra fresh mozzarella (b/c we love it). I used half regular Ziti and half Gluten Free Brown Rice Penne (Tinkyada brand), each in their own 8 X 8 pans, then divided the sausage/sauce mixture and cheeses between the pans. Definitely worth the extra effort.
Thank Jen !! I ended up buying the crushed tomatoes anyway B/C I needed the whole . mozzerella . Turned out awsome!! Next time I MIGHT add in a handful of fresh baby spinach if I have some that needs using up.
Glad it came out nicely! 🙂
Do you think a a can of Centro San Marzano whole tomatoes in puree would replace the crushed tomatoes IF I pulsed the whole tomatoes in a food processor or blender ? Or would that be too thick?
I think it’d be fine. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I love your recipes and I have made this many times as is. I am planning to make this for a family function but two members do not like sausage ( I try to sneak it in and they always know!). What would you recommend as an alternative? Thank you!
Hi Marie, So glad you like the recipes! You could make a vegetarian version of this. A number of readers have commented that they’ve done that by adding sauteed veggies (like bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) instead of the sausage. You can use ground beef here; I’d just make sure it’s well-seasoned as the sausage has a lot of seasoning. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, I’ve made this many times and it’s always incredibly delicious. For an upcoming potluck I need to substitute beef for the sausage and you mention here “well-seasoning” the beef. Is it possible for you to list the specifics for this (type and amount to add to the beef)? I always follow your recipes to the “t” and am a huge fan! Thanks!
So glad you like the recipes! 🙂
This will guide you a bit in seasoning your sausage. (You don’t have to follow this exactly — it just provides some seasonings that are found in Italian sausage). Hope it’s helpful!
This was amazing! I could not find ziti noodles so I googled the next best thing…rigatoni it was! We don’t have “sweet” sausage here in Canada but we do have honey garlic. I used 3 honey garlic sausages and 3 mild Italian sausages. I added one medium diced onion (while cooking the garlic) and I had some fresh spinach that needed to get used up so I roughly chopped it and added it to the pan with the sauce just before combining everything. This is definitely going to be a “repeat” dish! Thank you for sharing
What temperature should the oven be when making this fresh (425 as with frozen)?
Correct – enjoy! 🙂
Recently made this for large family gathering (I made two trays) and it was absolutely delicious and a definite crowd pleaser!! I did not change a single thing! Several guests asked for the recipe & I was happy to print it for them. This recipe is a keeper & I will be making it for Thanksgiving instead of my usual lasagna.
Ended up quite dry. Didn’t have ziti so used fusilli pasta. Would that make a difference? I expected it to be creamier.
Hi Bette, I’m sorry this came out dry for you! The fusilli shouldn’t have made a difference assuming you used the same amount. Did you make any other adjustments to the recipe?
No I didn’t. Added some marinara sauce to it tonight and it was delish!
Got it – I’m sorry it was a bit dry, but glad the marinara helped!
Made this recently and absolutely loved it!! Amazing!! I’m planning on making this for a dinner party, could I make the sauce the day before? Then add pasta the following day?
Definitely! Enjoy 🙂
This just a beautiful recipe. I have used it now for years and it is a gathering meal every time. I have of course tweaked it, but not by much.
Equal parts shredded carrots and onions softened, then the sausage, a little red wine, and proceed Thanks for this recipe!