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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Absolutely delicious! Easy recipe to follow. My husband doesn’t like leftover pasta and he liked it better the second day. This one is a keeper – sooooo good!
Magnifico!
Hi I love your casserole dish. Which brand is this and what size? If i were to double the recipe is it best to use 2 pans or can I use one big size ( what size?)
Hi Marie, That dish is really old and I’m not sure where I got it/what brand it is, but you can find something similar here. It’s a 9 x 13-inch dish. If you’re doubling it, you’ll get the most even baking by using two 9 x 13’s. Hope that helps!
2 pans
I’ve made this multiple times and it is always a hit with everyone! It is both a family favorite and my go to recipe for when I need to prepare a dinner for helping a neighbor. All they have to do is heat it up! Thanks Jen!
After making and enjoying your chicken cacciatore recipe in the Epoch Times yesterday, I found your blog, and made this for dinner tonight…it did not disappoint! Excellent and delicious!
Easy and delicious. I did add an extra 15oz can of crushed tomatoes as I found making it the first time it was too dry. Highly recommend for a family or a group gathering.
We’ve actually DOUBLED the tomatoes, but it’s great either way! We often use fresh mozzarella (torn, not grated) instead of shredded. Makes it a bit creamier.
Quick, easy and oh so delicious! I love Baked Ziti but have always used ricotta and wondered why it was dry. I actually started adding milk to it before I baked it but it really didn’t help much. When I read the comment in the recipe about ricotta drying out and getting grainy it made perfect sense. I made this exactly as written except I minced a shallot I had to use and it to the garlic. I will definitely make this again and will never use ricotta or part skim mozzarella in Ziti again!
Wonderfully delicious and so easy!! KEEPER. Made this with half the noodles and 1# bulk Italian sausage. Kept same amount of other ingredients. That worked for us. I have so many recipes flagged from the library cookbook copy that I purchased the cookbook this was in. Yes, I can get some recipes from the website but with so many recipes I had to own a clean copy. I also believe in supporting the author by purchasing it. I’ll print from the website to cook from and keep my treasured cookbook clean. Very happy with the results.
A must try recipe ! 2 family members have digestive issues with soft cheeses. So the cream works much better. Plus it is easier too.
I make this very close to as written. A local chef told us that he had to switch out his beloved Parmigiano Reggiano for something less expensive due to huge inflation. After lots of trial runs he now uses Grana Padano with equal success. Some of his regular customers commented by saying ” glad to see you went back to your original recipe” So being that he has kept the quality up & reduced this cost, that is his choice parmesan now. I tried it both ways in 2 different casseroles. BOTH worked out really well. Once or twice the dish turned out a bit drier than I liked. So now I add in 1 Cup of Rao’s regular marinara. It always works out well now. The rest of the recipe is the same. It has become a family favorite. Use her tip about freezing the fresh mozzerella for 15 to 25 min to make grating easier.
I was not able to find whole milk mozzarella at the store and now have part-skim instead. Will that make a huge difference (eg, should I go out and search for whole milk)? Thank you!
Hi Trisha, It won’t be quite as creamy/melty with the part-skim, but I definitely wouldn’t bother to go out and search for the full-fat. Hope you enjoy it!
I have made this once before and went right back to your recipe today. It is a great recipe. We love it. Will be enjoying it tomorrow night for New Years Eve! Thank you for sharing + Happy New Year!
Try looking in the separate cheese section located close to the deli. It is often near the blocks of parmesan cheese.