Easy Super Cheesy Baked Ziti

This delicious cheesy ricotta-filled baked ziti is the perfect cozy family recipe to make again and again. Packed full of Italian flavors, melted mozzarella, and creamy ricotta, this vegetarian recipe makes the best quick and tasty family dinner.

This easy pasta recipe is also the perfect casserole to share. It is one of my favorite ways to make baked pasta!

Why We Love Baked Ziti

• Cozy meal – This is the best baked ziti recipe, and a family favorite.
• Easy recipe makes easy meal prep– Prep ahead in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance to bake the next day. Or you can freeze and bake when it’s convenient.
• Simple ingredients that make this easy baked ziti recipe quick to prepare.
• Great for a weeknight dinner.
• Delicious for potlucks, parties, holidays or to bring a dish to a family member or friend who needs helps with meals.
• Vegetarian– No meat in this dish, but a protein can easily be added such as browned ground beef, turkey or even cooked chicken.

Ingredients For Your Shopping List

• 1 pound Ziti noodles- Most short shaped pasta can be swaped into this recipe.
• 2 Eggs
• 16 ounces Ricotta cheese– I prefer 2% milk ricotta or whole milk ricotta to fat free for a creamier dish.
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese- diced or shredded, divided
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese – shredded and divided
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon Parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves Garlic – minced, could also use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.
• 32 ounces Marinara sauce – 4 cups total, divided. You can also use your favorite red sauce.

How To Make Easy Baked Ziti

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start a large pot of salted water to boil.
2. Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions until al dente, usually 9-11 minutes. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
3. Crack eggs into a large bowl then break yolks with a fork. Add ricotta cheese and mix well.
4. To the ricotta cheese add 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix the cheese mixture until combined.

4. Mix and toss the pasta in the ricotta mixture.

5. Spray a 9×13 large baking dish lightly with oil, then add half of the marinara sauce (about 2 cups) to the bottom of the dish.
6. Add the pasta mixture to the baking dish spreading it evenly in the dish.
7. Top the pasta with the remaining marinara sauce (2 cups), mozzarella (1 cup) and parmesan cheese (1/2 cup).

8. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. The sauce will be bubbling and the cheese on top will be melted and lightly browned. Let stand for five minutes, then serve. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, fresh basil or red pepper flakes if desired.

How To Prep This Recipe And Store Leftovers

• Meal prep this recipe up to 24 hours in advance before cooking.
• This pasta recipe can be frozen. I recommend layering the pasta, cheese and sauce and freezing before you bake. Expect the recipe to take an extra 10-15 minutes to this ziti from frozen. If you prebake the recipe and then freeze the dish, the pasta is more likely to dry out as it reheats.
• A frozen ziti dish can easily last 5 months in the freezer if covered tightly.
• Store this recipe once cooked for 2-3 days in the refrigerator tightly covered.

Variation Ideas And Swaps

These variations will give you an added boost of protein, vegetables or both! When you add extras ingredients the entire dish may need to cook for some additional time. Usually, ten to fifteen minutes extra does the trick to make the entire dish hot and bubbly.

• Change The Pasta Shape– Other short pasta shapes can easily be substituted into this recipe. Examples of pasta shapes that would work well include including rigatoni, fusilli, bowties, or penne.
• Change the Pasta Sauce– You can easily use your favorite tomato based spaghetti sauce or homemade marinara sauce (double the recipe) cup for cup.
• Add Other Veggies– Diced bell peppers, onions, shredded zucchini (pat dry with paper towel), shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms or even broccoli cut into bite size pieces is an easy way to add a little extra color to your dish. Layer diced vegetables under layers of sauce or mozzarella cheese. You can also mix chopped vegetables into the cheese before mixing it with the pasta. Usually a cup of extra vegetables is a great place to start if adding to this dish.
• Add Ground Meat– A pound of ground beef, turkey or even sausage can easily be added to this dish to make a delicious meat sauce. Brown the meat first in a pan with a little salt and pepper. Drain off any excess liquid then add about half of the tomato sauce to the meat. I like to layer this meaty layer on top of the pasta before I add the cheese and add extra sauce with ground meat.
• Add Cooked Chicken– Cooked chicken is another delicious addition that adds a little extra protein to this dish. I typically add between half and a full pound of cooked chicken when I add it to this dish. Rotiserie chicken can be used, or simply leftover diced or shredded chicken.
• Swap the Cheese– Many people prefer to use cottage cheese in place of ricotta in baked italian dishes. Cottage cheese can easily be subsituted for ricotta in this recipe.
• Add Spinach– Spinach can be mixed into this dish but does need to be cooked to remove the water, especially if it’s frozen. A few handfuls of fresh spinach are ok but more than that it’s better to cook the water out of it first. Add spinach to the ricotta cheese mixture before adding it to the dish.

Cook’s Tip About Spinach: Spinach holds a lot of water and will make the pasta gluey if you add it without removing the water first. Wilt the spinach in a pan to cook the water out of it. If using frozen spinach defrost it first in the microwave, then strain any water and pat it dry with paper towels before adding it to the dish.

FAQ Questions

Do you bake ziti covered or uncovered?

Most of the time you can bake ziti uncovered. If your cheese on the top of the dish starts to get too brown cover the pan with a piece of foil. This will allow you to cook the center more without burning the top of the ziti casserole. Some ovens run a little hotter which can cause the top to cook faster than the inside of the dish.

Should I undercook pasta for baked ziti?

The pasta should not be undercooked but should not be overcooked either. Cooking the pasta until it is al dente (pasta that is soft but still has a firm bite) works well for baked ziti. Overcooking the ziti until it is extra soft can cause the pasta to become gluey once it is baked.

What pasta is most like ziti?

Rigatoni or penne is most like ziti in shape and size. Rigatoni is a little wider than ziti.

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