Baked Ziti Italian Style (Printable)

Hearty ziti pasta baked in a rich tomato sauce layered with creamy ricotta and melted mozzarella cheese.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 lb ziti pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 28 oz crushed tomatoes
06 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
07 - 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
08 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
09 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese Mixture

11 - 14 oz ricotta cheese
12 - 1 large egg
13 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil
15 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

# How to Make:

01 - Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish thoroughly.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Add ziti and cook until just al dente, about 2 minutes less than package directions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chopped onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
04 - Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, and optional red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - In a medium bowl, blend ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and chopped herbs until smooth and evenly mixed.
06 - Return drained pasta to the pot. Fold in half of the tomato sauce and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese until evenly combined.
07 - Spread half of the pasta mixture evenly in the baking dish. Distribute the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta layer. Top with the remaining pasta mixture, then pour over the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly on top.
08 - Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
09 - Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbling.
10 - Let the dish stand for 10 minutes to set before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It feeds a crowd without feeling fussy, and reheats beautifully for lazy weeknight leftovers.
  • The ricotta layer stays creamy while the top gets gloriously golden, giving you two textures in every bite.
  • You can throw it together in under an hour, which feels impressive considering how much it tastes like you've been cooking all day.
02 -
  • Undercooking the pasta by a couple minutes is not optional if you want creamy ziti instead of mush—the oven keeps cooking it, and you have to account for that.
  • If your ricotta mixture is lumpy, run it through a fork one more time before spreading; lumps won't soften and will be weird to bite into.
  • The 10-minute rest after baking is not just flavor—it lets the layers set enough to scoop clean pieces instead of scooping soup.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated mozzarella instead of pre-shredded if you can—it melts smoother and gets creamier without the cornstarch coating.
  • Let your tomato sauce simmer the full 15 minutes even though you're tempted to skip it; that's when the flavors actually come together and the sharp tomato taste rounds out.

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