My version of classic baked ziti is the ultimate Italian-American dish to satisfy a crowd of friends and family. The recipe makes a a big pasta casserole with sausage, layered with three types of cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan), marinara sauce and pasta. It bakes in the oven for 25 minutes, and turns out with a crusty border of pasta, bubbling sauce and enough gooey mozzarella for a perfect cheese pull.

Baked ziti pasta in a casserole dish, with a fork resting on the edge.

Family-style pasta is basically my reason for being. I think it’s because I grew up feasting on Sunday dinners with my entire extended Italian family. Baked ziti was reserved for a special occasion meal, but in my current life it’s one fabulous way to feed a family without much fuss.

This easy baked ziti recipe is basically a freeform version of my classic cheese lasagna — less layers, but the same combination of creamy, saucy, cheesy and crispy.

Key ingredients

Bowls of ingredients arranged on a surface, including bulk sausage meat, marinara sauce, dried ziti pasta, mozzarella cheese, ricotta, parmesan and fresh basil leaves.
  • The pasta: The iconic dried pasta for this recipe is ziti, a shape that catches bits of sauce and cheese inside each tube. After trying out multiple methods, I learned that the secret to success is par-boiling the ziti so each noodle is perfectly al dente after baking in the oven. Guess what? It turns out to take about half the time listed on the package directions. Penne is a good substitute, as is mostaccioli, a penne-shaped pasta without ridges.
  • The sauce: Baked ziti needs plenty of sauce, so I use a generous amount (the equivalent of a 32-ounce jar). I give you full permission to take a shortcut and use your favorite brand of prepared tomato sauce. Go for one that’s thick and zesty! Otherwise, make a quick batch of my recipe for homemade marinara sauce.
  • The cheese: I’ve tested this recipe with different ratios of cheeses, but I settled on a trifecta for the best flavor: Whole milk ricotta for a creamy texture, shredded mozzarella — I recommend buying a bag of pre-shredded mozzarella cheese to achieve the highest quality melt factor — and grated Parmesan and or Romano cheese for an extra hit of umami.
  • The meat: Italian sausage is my preference over ground beef (it comes already seasoned!). For more flexibility, use sausage made from ground turkey or pork.

Steps and tips for success

  • Cooked crumbled Italian sausage meat in a skillet, with a wooden spatula.
    1. Cook crumbled Italian sausage in a large skillet with olive oil, garlic and seasonings.
  • Ricotta cheese and chopped parsley in a bowl with a spatula.
    2. Blend ricotta cheese with fresh chopped herbs until smooth. Tip: I like to put the ricotta in a mesh strainer set over a bowl for about 10 minutes to remove excess liquid.
  • Layers of tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and zite pasta in a baking dish.
    3. Spread a layer of marinara pasta sauce in a baking dish. Add mozzarella, partially cooked ziti and sausage.
  • Pasta and sausage meat in a casserole and topped with grated cheese and spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.
    4. Add dollops of ricotta and grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Pasta in a casserole with a layer of shredded mozzarella on top.
    5. Sprinkle with another layer of shredded mozzarella.
  • Layers of pasta and cheese in a casserole, topped with marinara sauce.
    6. Add another layer of tomato sauce.
  • Cooked ziti and sausage in a baking dish.
    7. Add the remaining pasta mixture.
  • Layers of pasta and cheese in a casserole, topped with marinara sauce and thick shreds of mozzarella cheese.
    8. Top off the dish with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
  • Baked pasta casserole with golden brown melted cheese on top and crusty edges.
    9. Bake the ziti at 425 degrees about 25 minutes, until the cheese is golden. Enjoy the crunchy edges!
Ziti pasta and a serving spoon in a baking dish with melted cheese, marinara sauce and fresh basil leaves.
5 from 3 ratings

Baked Ziti with Crumbled Sausage and Ricotta

Karen Tedesco
My version of classic baked ziti is the ultimate Italian-American dish to satisfy a crowd of friends and family. The recipe makes a a big pasta casserole, layered with three types of cheese (ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan), marinara sauce, bulk Italian sausage, and pasta. It bakes in the oven for 25 minutes and turns out with a crusty border of pasta, bubbling sauce, and enough gooey mozzarella for a perfect cheese pull.
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Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound dried ziti pasta, penne, or mostaccioli
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, sweet or hot
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or add to taste if you're using hot sausage
  • 3½ cups marinara sauce, or (1) 32-ounce jar of prepared tomato pasta sauce
  • 8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, drained of excess water
  • ½ cup chopped parsley , or fresh basil
  • 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, or pecorino Romano, or a ½+½ mixture of each

Equipment

Instructions
 

This recipe will serve about 8 people, and can be doubled or tripled easily.

  1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425F (220C).
  2. Place a 10-12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and onion. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the sausage, using a spoon to crumble the meat, and cook until it's no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, oregano and red pepper. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the ziti and cook for 6 minutes — or half the amount of time directed on the package. Be sure not to overcook the pasta, since it will continue to cook in the oven. Drain, then dump it back into the pot and combine with the cooked sausage.

Assemble the baked ziti

  1. Put the ricotta in a medium bowl with the chopped parsley or basil. Stir together until smooth and creamy.
  2. Spread 1½ cups of marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish (4 quart capacity). Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella evenly over the sauce.
    Add half of the ziti and sausage mixture, spreading to the edge of the dish. Spoon ½ cup of the ricotta mixture in even dollops over the pasta. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the mozzarella and ¼ cup of the grated Parmesan or Roman cheese. Add another 1½ cups of marinara sauce, spreading it to the edges of the dish.
  3. Add the remaining ziti to the dish. Top evenly with the remaining ricotta and ¼ cup Parmesan. Pour the remaining ½ cup of marinara over the pasta. Distribute the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the top.
  4. Put the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (this helps to catch any overflow of bubbling sauce or cheese). Bake 25 minutes, or until the edges of the ziti are crisp and the cheese is melted and golden.
  5. Cool the baked ziti for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

To make baked ziti without meat: Cook the onion in as in step 2 using 2 tablespoons of olive oil until softened, then add the garlic, oregano and red pepper. Mix with your marinara sauce and proceed with the assembly.
To prep ahead: Assemble, cover and refrigerate the ziti up to one day ahead of baking. Since the dish will be cold, add 15-25 minutes to the baking time, covering with foil for the first 20 minutes. You can also let it sit out for 30-45 minutes before baking to take off some of the chill — this is especially helpful for glass baking dishes, since a sudden temperature change can cause thermal shock and cracking.. To freeze: Cool the baked ziti completely, then cover and refrigerate until cold. Cover the dish securely and put in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Cheeses:
  • Mozzarella: For maximum goo and stretch, I recommend buying a bag of low-moisture, thickly shredded mozzarella made with whole milk.
  • Ricotta cheese: Look for whole milk ricotta. This is my favorite brand because it’s extra thick and creamy. Drain your ricotta in a tea strainer if necessary to remove excess water (you don’t want that extra liquid pooling in the bottom of the baking dish).
  • Grated cheese: Use freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino Romano, or even better, a blend of both.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 628kcal Carbohydrates: 53g Protein: 29g Fat: 33g Sodium: 984mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 6g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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