Perfect to feed a crowd.

Baked Ziti is a comforting and classic dish and takes less time than lasagna! It’s perfect to feed a large crowd and you can even make it ahead of time! Perfect to switch up your spaghetti night rotation.

An oblong orange baking dish of baked ziti with crispy, cheese topping and green pieces of fresh basil, with a red napkin, wedge of parmesan cheese, and loose pieces of bright green basil in the background.

Baked Ziti Ingredients

Pasta, golden brown cheesy topping, creamy ricotta, marinara sauce – what’s not to love? This recipe tends to be great for picky eaters around here and can help change up the classic spaghetti and caesar salad night. Pasta night is my favorite night of the week!

Fresh Ingredients

ground sirloin – I prefer using ground sirloin in my ground beef recipes, its typically lower in fat, we have plenty of other fat in this dish. Use what you prefer!
whole milk ricotta – definitely use whole milk!
mozzarella and provolone – I buy the blend of the two cheeses in a bag if I am in a time crunch or buy it fresh and grate it
fontina – a really buttery cheese, delicious in this recipe, if you can’t find it, replace it with additional mozzarella
parmigiano reggiano – trust me when I say, the real stuff is worth it!!!! I put it on everything

Pantry Ingredients

short cut pasta – I like ziti rigati for the ridges on the outside, but use what you prefer
marinara sauce – I typically use my favorite store bought option for this dish, but use homemade if you have it!
garlic cloves – fresh garlic makes such a big difference
olive oil
onion powder
kosher salt
black pepper
oregano or italian seasoning (optional) – I actually prefer this recipe without oregano or Italian seasoning, but if you enjoy it, add a little in for additional flavor
Basil and flaky salt for topping (optional)

A large white bowl of shredded mozzarella, a yellow container of ricotta cheese, a small blue bowl with shredded parmigiano reggiano, a blue box of Ronzoni Ziti Rigiati pasta, a large mason jar of red home style gravy sauce, two small clear bowls with white salt, onion powder, and green oregano, and 3 unpeeled garlic cloves.

How to Make Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce and Ricotta

Despite shredding some cheese (it’s so worth it), everything else comes together pretty quickly! I like to try to prep the cheese the day before or the morning of to save me time at dinner time.

Prep the Cheese

Shred and mix your mozzarella, fontina, provolone, and parmigiano reggiano.

Cook the Pasta and Preheat the Oven

Bring your water to a boil, salt the water, and cook your pasta according to package directions just until al dente so the pasta isn’t overcooked after baking.

Everything comes together pretty quick, preheat your oven in the meantime.

Make the Meat Sauce

Brown the ground beef in your skillet and season. Drain most of the fat.

Add Garlic, Marinara & Simmer!

Add in your minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Stir in your favorite marinara sauce. Simmer to allow the flavors to meld.

Combine Pasta, Sauce, and Ricotta

Add the drained pasta to your sauce mixture. Lightly mix in spoonfuls of ricotta, we want to avoid stirring the ricotta completely into the sauce. It creates delicious pockets of cheese throughout the ziti.

Assemble the Baked Ziti

To a deep baking dish, add 1/3 of the pasta mixture, topped with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers ending with cheese on top.

Bake and Serve

Cover the dish with foil, bake for 20-25 minutes, broiling at the end of 2-3 minutes to get a golden brown crust. Enjoy!

Step by step instruction boxes to make baked Ziti, labeled with numbers including step 1 a photo of ingredients, step 2 a stainless steel sauce pan with browned ground beef and a white spatula, step 3 includes browned ground beef with red marinara sauce mixed in, step 4 includes white ricotta cheese swirled throughout the mixture, step 5 includes placing the red pasta mixture in an oblong baking dish and topping with shredded mozzarella, and step 6 shows the crispy cheese topping and noodles after coming out of the oven.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

To make ahead, stop at step 14, once the ziti has been assembled in your dish. Let come to room temperature and store tightly wrapped in the fridge. I do a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil. Don’t forget to take the plastic wrap off before baking!

I like to use an aluminum throw away pan if making ahead, I find it helps the ziti come to room temperature quicker.

Take the pan out at least 1 hour before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until warmed through. I use a meat thermometer to check the center is at least 160°F. Broil for 1-2 minutes to achieve desired color.

I have tried freezing a small portion. I defrost in the fridge overnight, pull out to bring closer to room temperature, and bake following the above. Sometimes it does take a bit longer depending on how quickly it defrosted.

Looking for more pasta dishes? This Creamy Lemon Pasta is light and refreshing and will bring a totally different vibe.

Baked Ziti

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Author: Aimee Iorio
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Cheesy, baked goodness.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound short cut pasta (I use ziti rigati)
1 pound ground sirloin or ground beef
15 ounces whole milk ricotta
2 cups mozzarella and provolone, shredded
1 cup fontina, shredded (if you can’t find fontina, replace with mozzarella)
½ cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
32 ounces marinara sauce (store bought or homemade)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon oregano or italian seasoning (optional)
Basil and flaky salt for topping (optional)

Instructions

Shred your cheeses: 2 cups mozzarella and provolone, 1 cup fontina, and ½ cup parmigiano reggiano. Mix the cheeses together.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, heavily salt the water, and cook your pasta until just al dente according to the instructions on the box.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
In the meantime, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Brown 1 pound ground sirloin and season with 1 teaspoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and black pepper to taste.
When the meat is fully browned, drain the majority of the fat.
Stir in 3 cloves minced garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Pour in 32 ounces marinara sauce. Rinse the jar with water (pasta water if you have enough) and add ½ cup of the liquid from the jar. Add in ½ teaspoon oregano if using. Taste for salt, depending on the marinara sauce you use, you may or may not need additional salt. I typically add at least 1 teaspoon.
Turn the heat to low and let the meat sauce come to a simmer, 8-10 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Drain your cooked pasta and add directly to the sauce. Stir until combined.
Slowly add in scoops of ricotta cheese and lightly mix to avoid stirring the cheese completely into the sauce.
In a 9×13 deep dish, add ? of your pasta and sauce mixture. Top with ? of your cheese mixture.
Repeat for 3 layers: pasta and sauce mixture, cheese, ensuring to end with cheese as your top layer.
Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. For a more golden and bubbly top, broil 1-2 minutes watching closely for desired color.
Top with torn pieces of basil and flaky salt and serve!

Notes

To make ahead, stop at step 14. Let come to room temperature and store tightly wrapped in the fridge. I do a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil. Take the pan out at least 1 hour before baking. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until warmed through. I use a meat thermometer to check the center is at least 160°F. Broil for 1-2 minutes to achieve desired color.

I use a 9×13 or 4 quart baking dish.

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Mains
Method: Stovetop, Oven
Cuisine: Italian American

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I replace the Fontina?

If you can find Fontina, definitely use it! If you can’t, replace with mozzarella/provolone.

Can I use homemade marinara?

Absolutely! Use your favorite. I use store bought on a weeknight to make life easier. I need to get back to prepping and freezing my homemade marinara!

What size baking dish do I use?

I use a deep 9×13 or 4 quart baking dish. You want to be able to create all your layers without having any bubble over.