Authentic Italian Baked Ziti

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Ground Sausage. You could substitute ground beef if you don't have ground sausage or pork, but the ground sausage adds a ton of flavor to this dish so I highly recommend it. You could also leave out meat entirely. It's easy to make your own Homemade Italian Ground Sausage.

Sauce. I choose to make a sauce, albeit not as complicated as a Sunday Sauce. But you could buy jarred sauce if you want to save even more time. You would just have to combine it with the cooked ground sausage.

Ricotta Mixture. It's great if you can marinate the ricotta overnight, to let the flavor seep into the cheese, but it's not necessary. Just an easy step to add more flavor. Keep our Ricotta Filling recipe on hand for all your favorites!

Step-by-Step Directions

Step 1: Bring a saucepan to medium heat. Add olive oil. Saute onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the minced garlic.

Step 2: Saute for one more minute and then add ground sausage.

Step 3: Break sausage apart and cook until sausage is browned. The sausage doesn't need to be cooked completely through since we'll bake it in the oven.

Step 4: Once the sausage is browned, add the tomatoes, basil, and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Preheat oven to 375℉. Combine ricotta ingredients in a bowl. This can be done a day in advance.

Step 6: In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Boil ziti for 6 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Add a cup of the sauce to the pasta so that it doesn't stick. Put half of the pasta to the baking tray.

Step 7: Add half of the sauce combined with the ricotta mixture and stir together. Layer half of the mozzarella on top.

Step 8: Add the second half of the pasta on top. Then spoon the rest of the sauce over the pasta with more ricotta. Make sure to get the edges and corners covered in sauce. Top with a final layer of mozzarella and parmesan and a few dollops of ricotta.

Step 9: Place the tray in the oven covered in aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven when the cheese and sauce are bubbling. Garnish with chopped parsley.

I love my baked ziti to be saucy and cheesy! It's great if you can make some extra sauce for serving especially if you're reheating.

This version of ziti is the best combination of sauce, cheese, and flavor. A good Italian Sausage makes this recipe work.

Preparing in Advance

I love baked pasta dishes like ziti because I can prepare it in advance. Follow every step up until baking it in the oven. Wrap it in aluminum foil and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove from the fridge and add an extra 10 minutes of baking time.

Or you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake it, place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Add an extra 10-20 minutes of baking depending on how cold it is.

Saving leftovers? Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days! Reheat in the oven at 350℉ and add more sauce, or reheat in the microwave.

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with Baked Ziti?

Well, you can't just put out a tray of ziti and call it a day. Here's what you can serve with this baked pasta dish:

• When I'm looking for more protein to serve with it, there's nothing like some Chicken Francese or Chicken Saltimbocca.
• I love serving this with some simple seafood recipes like Steamed Mussels in White Wine or Garlic Sage Seared Scallops!
• Don't wait until the last minute for side dishes. They should be just as delicious as the rest of the meal. Try our Italian cabbage or lacinato kale braised with tomato recipe
• Serve it with some eggplant parmigiana or Italian Sausage and Peppers.
• You have to have dessert! Serve some Pistachio Cream Tiramisu or Rainbow Cookie Cake after dinner!

Video Recipe