Baked Ziti Recipe

4 from 1 vote

A baked sausage-and-cheese pasta dish made with tomato sauce and soft-cooked ziti.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: ziti

Servings:

Calories: 924kcal

Author: Daisy Merano

Heat oil in a pan.
2 tablespoons canola oil
Add the ground sausage. Cook until it turns light brown.
1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
Stir the onion and garlic in the pan. Continue to cook until they're translucent and fragrant.
1 medium yellow onion, 2 cloves minced garlic
Pour the pasta sauce in and then stir. Let boil.
2 24 oz. bottles traditional pasta sauce
Add dried basil and oregano. Stir. Cover and cook in low to medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Meanwhile, cook the Ziti based on package instructions. Once cooked, drain the water and arrange in a baking pan.
1 lb. ziti
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Pour half of the cooked pasta sauce over the Ziti. Add Ricotta cheese and half of the Mozzarella cheese and then gently fold. Make sure that all the ingredients are well incorporated.
1 cup Ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese, 2 24 oz. bottles traditional pasta sauce
Pour the remaining pasta sauce over the Ziti and top with Parmesan and remaining Mozzarella
2 24 oz. bottles traditional pasta sauce, ¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it cool. Enjoy!

Don’t overbake the pasta. Baked ziti keeps cooking even after you take it out of the oven. If it stays in too long, the edges turn rubbery or dry. I stick to the 30-minute mark and skip foil so the top browns properly. After baking, I always let it sit a few minutes to settle.
Use enough sauce in both layers. Dry bites happen when there’s not enough sauce, especially in the folded layer. I divide the sauce evenly between the pasta fold and the topping. That way, the cheese stays soft and the pasta doesn’t dry out. A fully coated surface helps everything melt smoothly.
Ricotta needs gentle handling. Ricotta breaks down fast if it’s stirred too roughly. I fold it into the pasta slowly so it doesn’t lose its creamy texture. Overmixing also leads to a grainy feel after baking. If you're unsure, fold it with a spatula instead of a spoon.
Choose sausage with fat for moisture. Extra-lean sausage can taste dry after baking. I use mild Italian sausage with just enough fat to keep the dish moist and rich. That fat blends into the tomato sauce while it simmers. It also coats the pasta better without clumping.
Let the dish rest before cutting. If you slice into it right away, the sauce and cheese won’t hold together. I wait about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This cooling time helps the cheese settle and gives neater portions. The flavor also feels more even once it's rested a bit.