This satisfying, timeless and easy baked ziti recipe is made with the simplest ingredients, no frills, and can be prepped ahead of time and heated before serving. Talk about meal prep comfort food at its finest.
What I love about making simple pasta recipes is that it truly is a blank canvas for all other add ins, or keep it classic. Like my baked stuffed shells recipe, my creamy one pot garlic parmesan pasta, or even my cheesy pesto tortellini bake, classic Italian dishes deliver endless, ample flavor.
TL;DR Summary -Easy Baked Ziti
- 👩🏼🍳 Cook Level - Easy/Beginner
- ⏱️ Cook Time - 30-40 minutes
- 📖 Dietary Info - Gluten, dairy
- 😋 Taste - Classic Italian flavors of marinara, mozzarella, ricotta cheese, and dried herbs like basil and parsley.
- 💖 Why You'll Love - What's more classic than a baked ziti? This is a perfect weeknight meal, freezer prep dinner, or a holiday starter.
- 🍽️ Serving Suggestions - You can make this as a meal prep option for the week along with crispy pan fried chicken cutlets or oven roasted chicken thighs. You can also whip up a simple greens salad or a side of freshly sautéed sugar snap peas with garlic.
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Trusted Tips and Key Reminders
- Use more tomato sauce than you think you need as the baked ziti could easily dry out if there is not enough sauce.
- Remember to keep the pasta al dente so that it does not fall apart when it bakes in the oven.
- Salt the water when the pasta cooks to give the pasta more flavor. I always suggest adding 1 tablespoon of salt when the water is boiling.
The Ingredient List
- Pasta - I like using a rigatoni, ziti, or penne. Feel free to swap for gluten free if you need. You'll need one standard sized box, approximately 1lb or 16 ounces.
- Ricotta Cheese - whole milk ricotta is the way to go!
- Marinara Sauce - I prefer Rao's, Primal Kitchen, or a simple tomato sauce from Cento, Delallo, or Tuttorosso
- Mozzarella - I like to use whole milk mozzarella when it comes to baked pasta.
- Italian Seasoning - herbs like dried oregano, dried parsley, and dried basil are great to give more depth of flavor and color.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Simple Swaps and Substitutions
- Swap the pasta for your favorite gluten free choice like brown rice, chickpea, or my current hyper-fixation is pasta from 3 Farm Daughters, which boasts a bronze cut, more protein and more fiber.
- You can use a dairy-alternative cheese and ricotta to keep this dairy-free.
- For an even more fun flavor, use a homemade vodka sauce instead of a marinara in a jar. This adds a little different flavor profile than your classic baked ziti.
How to make easy baked ziti
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350º and prep an oven safe casserole dish with some sauce at the bottom. Bring a large stock pot of water to boil, then add salt and stir in your pasta of choice. Cook until al dente, strain, and then pour into the prepared casserole dish.
Step 2: To the pasta, dollop a few scoops of ricotta cheese, then stir to fully combine. Add more marinara and mix in to make sure that when the ziti bakes, it does not dry out.
Step 3: Add in dried spices like basil and oregano, then mix to fully incorporate.
Step 4: Add a few spoonfuls of ricotta cheese, followed by 1-2 cups of the grated mozzarella cheese. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, then turn the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes to get the cheese bubbly and golden brown.
Mistakes I've Made (to avoid!)
- Do NOT overcook the pasta. As seen in the photo below there's a few noodles that fell apart as I was folding in the ricotta. You want to cook the pasta 1-2 minutes LESS than what the package suggests because when the pasta bakes, it continues to cook. No one wants soggy noods (just saying...)
- Don't forget to add more marinara sauce and combine with the pasta and ricotta cheese. The sauce will keep the pasta flavorful, but also alleviate it from drying out as it bakes.
- If you are broiling to get the cheese browned and bubbly, watch the broiler! It can go from slightly charred to burnt in literally minutes (speaking from unfortunate experience).
Classic Baked Ziti FAQs
Add any remaining baked pasta to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You could also store the entire dish in the casserole dish you baked it in, and reheat when you want to make more of it.
You definitely can! Add the remaining pasta to a freezer friendly airtight container and keep in the freezer for up to two months. When it's time to make the baked ziti, thaw in the fridge and bake at 350º until the cheese gets melty. and bubbly.
It works really well with gluten free pasta, but be sure to cook the pasta al dente, or even a minute or two less so that the pasta does not fall apart when mixing it with the tomato sauce and ricotta cheese mixture.
Try these other incredibly simple pasta recipes:
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Classic Baked Ziti Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 strainer
- 1 oven safe baking dish
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 pint ricotta cheese
- 1 lb short pasta 16 ounces
- 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Bring a large stock pot of water to boil. Once the water boils, add salt and stir in your pasta of choice.
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the directions suggests, drain and set aside.
- Take an oven-safe baking dish and pour a few drops of marinara at the bottom. Pour in the pasta and mix the pasta in with the marinara.
- Add more marinara, spices, salt, pepper, and a few dollops of the ricotta cheese. Stir with a wooden spoon, making sure to coat all of the pasta.
- Pour in a little more sauce and ricotta as desired. Top the pasta with a layer of mozzarella cheese and bake for 20 minutes.
- Once the pasta is finished baking, turn the oven to broil and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and the pasta is slightly crispy on the sides.
Julia says
This was the easiest baked pasta I have ever attempted to make and I was amazed how good it was! I do not cook regularly so searched for something easy and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out, even had plenty leftover and it's just as good warmed up next day. Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Morgan Peaceman says
Hi Julia, thank you sooo much for this feedback! I am so happy you loved it as much as I do. It's a keeper for sure 🙂
Donna says
Hi! Can I make this ahead of time for the next day?
Morgan Peaceman says
Hi! yes you definitely can!!! I would assemble and hold off on adding the cheese, and then add the mozzarella on top right before you want to bake it!
Donna says
Thank you Morgan! I was thinking that but then second guessing myself. I made 2 of these and they came out so good! So simple and quick! Everyone loved it! Thank you again!
Morgan Peaceman says
Yay! This makes me so happy!!! It's my absolutely pleasure, thank you for trusting me!!
Planterina says
Very good, very easy. I would go with a jar of sauce that you know is good. I used a random brand I picked up at the store and it was kind of sour. Even with a drop of sugar addrd
Morgan Peaceman says
Thank you for that feedback! I agree, it's super important that you trust the jar of sauce you purchase!! I love Rao's, Vincent's, or Cento!
Meg says
How much pasta is a package? I have so many different sizes (ounces) of pasta packages and don’t know how much to use.
Morgan Peaceman says
Use 1lb (16oz) of pasta!
Nicole Tropiano says
This recipe was so simple yet sooo satisfying! A classic that every person should know how to make! Nomaste Hungry makes it so easy!
Gloria says
You can never go wrong with a baked ziti and I loved this one. We did end up adding some ground sausage to it and spinach. Even without the addins we added this was one of the best baked zitis ive mad.e
Lucie R. says
I just really appreciate how uncomplicated this baked ziti is. I also love the dried herbs, something I didn't see in the other recipes as much I found on Google but this was so good. I loved it and will be making it again, maybe add some ground beef to it!!!
Melanie says
This recipe was a huge hit with my family this past weekend. We were home bcuz of the rain and so I figured I could make this instead of going out! We ate it all, there's no leftovers. We'll have to make again!
Jeremy says
Made this for my wife for her birthday tonight and this will now be my go to baked ziti from now on. THANK YOU!!!
Lisette says
You will never believe that I’ve never made a baked ziti before your recipe. I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to make again with ground beef. I look at other recipe of your and they look good.
Rebecca W. says
This is just so delicious I can’t say it enough. We love making this recipe for dinner on Fridays as it’s easy and satisfies my hungry kiddos.
Ashley C. says
OK so you'd think that baked ziti would be an easy recipe to make but I don't know anything about the kitchen so when I saw your recipe it seemed super easy and i tried it. It was amazing! I have leftovers for lunch for Monday for me and my roommate now. Thanks!
Alli says
Made this tonight using gluten free pasta and it was delicious!! The whole family loved it … and we were already talking about making this part of our regular rotation as we were enjoying it! Really delicious with minimal effort - just the kind of meals we need more of in our life.
Brent L. says
This has to be the best baked ziti recipe I’ve ever made. I’m not exaggerating either. I made a few others and they were so dry. Not this one. The pasta was flavorful, and I like the add of the spices.
Kaitlin says
I loved making this for my family last night!! It was such an easy recipe to put together from start to finish, and what I love most is that there's no weird or one-off ingredients needed. I had everything this recipe called for, and my fam loved it!