Baked Ziti is one of the pasta recipes that checks all the boxes for a delicious family meal. It’s delicious enough for company and always a favorite for Sunday supper. We use prepared marinara and a super-easy meatball recipe to keep it simplified and convenient!
I love the mini meatballs in the cheesy sauce- flavor explosions in each bite. A scoop of this delicious ziti pasta bake, a nice green salad, and a crusty chunk of bread might be the closest thing to culinary heaven I can think of! Full of classic Italian flavors, Baked Ziti always gets rave reviews, and everyone always wants seconds!
Let’s get started!
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What I Love About This Recipe
Topping the list of what I love about Baked Ziti is the hearty, Italian flavor. You can’t have a good baked Italian pasta dish that doesn’t deliver on taste, and this recipe has it in spades! Of course, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Here are some other things I love about Baked Ziti
- Mini meatballs!
- Feeds a crowd
- The cheesy, meaty sauce
- The ‘WOW’ I get when I put it on the table
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe Notes
This is a nice and easy Baked Ziti Recipe. There’s nothing fancy about it except the taste! Here are a few more tips!
Cooking the pasta- I can’t stress enough that you need to follow good pasta prep techniques. You don’t want to end up with pasta mush at the end of the bake. Boil just to al dente and no rinsing!
Searing the meatballs- I use vegetable oil, generally canola, because of its high smoke point which makes it very safe to take to high heat. You want it HOT before you put your meatballs in! It should sizzle like crazy when the meat hits it. This quick cook seals in the flavor and moisture of the meatballs and is absolutely essential!
Baked Ziti Recipe Ingredient Notes
No time to make meatballs? No worries! Frozen cocktail meatballs are a great shortcut for this Baked Ziti Recipe.
Most jars of marinara sauce are 24 ounces, so 2 jars should do it. You might have a little left over. Put it in a ziplock bag and freeze it. It’ll be great dipping sauce for another time!
Ricotta: I use whole milk ricotta because I like the creaminess. If you don’t like ricotta, you can substitute a small curd, full-fat cottage cheese.
Pasta: I like Ziti for this pasta bake. It’s strong and sturdy and holds up well to mixing and baking. Other short cut pastas like penne or rigatoni are good options as well.
Ziti Pasta Storing Tips
Leftover Ziti Pasta will keep in a well-sealed container for 3 days. I suggest storing in a glass container to prevent the tomato sauce from reacting with the pan.
Can You Freeze This?
Baked Ziti freezes beautifully! I prefer to freeze it unbaked. Simply assemble as directed and allow to cool completely. Wrap well with cling wrap and foil. It will hold for about 3 months. You can freeze it baked or freeze leftovers- if there are any. The pasta texture isn’t quite as nice on a second go through the oven, but it’s still delish!
How To Make Baked Ziti Ahead Of Time
You can make this up to 3 days ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Simply assemble as directed, but don’t bake it. Wrap it in cling wrap or use a tight-fitting lid. Pop it in the oven when you’re ready for it! If coming straight from the fridge, cook time will be increased.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
3 days is a good rule of thumb for fridge storage for this pasta bake.
Recipe Variations
From pasta salads to pasta bakes, variations on pasta creations abound. Their ‘anything goes’ flexibility is one of the things I love best about them. You can add, subtract, or substitute just about anything and you’ll still end up with something yummy!
Can I Make Baked Ziti With Sour Cream?
I really prefer the cheesy creaminess of ricotta, but you can make Baked Ziti with sour cream. A lot of recipes that include sour cream have layers. So, with this recipe, you could layer half the pasta mixture, spread on the sour cream, and then put on the rest of the pasta. Top with cheese and bake as directed.
Can I Make This Baked Ziti Vegetarian?
You can certainly make Baked Ziti vegetarian by simply omitting the beef. You can add bulk to the dish by adding mushrooms, zucchini, or any of your favorite veggies. If you’re looking for meat-free pasta bakes, I have to recommend my Five Cheese Ziti Al Forno. It’s the ultimate in cheesy, creamy indulgence, and you’ll never miss the meat!
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Meatballs:
- 1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs
- 2 eggs large, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup Romano cheese grated, divided
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3/4 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to taste
- all-purpose flour for dredging
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Pasta:
- 1 pound dried ziti
Assembly:
- 1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves julienned
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 3 cups whole milk ricotta
- 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make Meatballs:
- Mix together bread crumbs, eggs, milk, 1/2 cup Romano, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Add beef, salt, and black pepper and mix until everything is evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the beef.
- Roll mixture into cocktail size meatballs then roll each one into flour then shaking off the excess.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat, in a large skillet, almost to smoking. Brown the meatballs in batches so as not to crowd the skillet. Continue to cook until all sides of the meatballs are brown. Remove browned meatballs to a paper towel-lined plate.
Pasta:
- Cook ziti in well-salted water, according to package instructions, just to al dente. Drain. Do not rinse.
Assembly:
- Mix basil, marinara sauce, and ricotta in a large bowl until combined. Add pasta and meatballs and gently fold until evenly combined.
- Pour into a large baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with mozzarella, Parmesan and remaining Romano. Dot with butter. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until the ziti is bubbly and the crust is golden. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
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More Ziti Pasta Recipes
This easy Baked Ziti is at the top of my list of Pasta Recipes, but I’ve got lots more! Ziti is a great pasta to use with a variety of different sauces and ingredients. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Baked Ziti With Ricotta
- Baked Ziti With Meat
- Baked Ziti With Sausage
Conclusion
Baked Ziti has all the hallmarks of a great recipe, and I know it’s going to become a regular in your dinner rotation. I love the simple prep that translates to such an amazingly delicious, hearty meal. I can’t wait to hear how it works for you! Be sure to leave a comment below!
Source: Adapted Slightly From Giada De Laurentiis
Made this tonight and while it was good, it was not as good as I expected. The ricotta cheese to sauce ratio was way off. The texture was too grainy. Next time I will half the ricotta and double the mozzarella to improve the smoothness. I made the meatballs with a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop and they were perfect!! Loved the flavor and texture of them!!
Hi Julie. I’m surprised to hear you found the ratio off. I guess I agree with Giada on this one but I really appreciate your input on the recipe. It’s interesting how we all enjoy things a little different. Good to know the 1 tablespoon cookie scoop worked well. It’s a great idea to use that.
i am not a fan a ricotta cheese, is there another cheese I can use?
Hi Carol you could use cottage cheese 😉
Picture shows penne not ziti, but still sound awesome!
I saw this recipe from your homepage slider… YUM! Anything with tomato sauce and baked cheese gets my attention immediately.
I’ve never made ziti, but I love cooking Italian food and I can’t wait to try this recipe!
No problem, can’t wait to try this, look soooo good:)
Your recipe is missing how much milk to use for the meatballs…
Thanks Susan! I’ve fixed the recipe. I appreciate you letting me know 😉
What is your marinara recipe? Mind sharing?
Hi
In your headnotes you mentioned that you used 11/2 cups of basil in this recipe, but you only have 1 cup of basil listed in the ingredient's list, what happened to the last 1/2 cup of basil.
Look at that cheese goodness! It makes me want to dive in and eat it from the inside out. Excellent post.
Your photos are gorgeous and I cannot wait to try this! I love love love pasta recipes with lots of cheese and sauce. Thanks so much for linking to Saturday Swap… please remember to include the button to link back to the party in your post.
I love love baked ziti! I usually make mine with italian sausage- so good! That picture with all the cheese melted on top is gorgeous!
love pasta recipe like this
Oooh, I love all that cheese on top, it looks delicious!
I love a good Baked Ziti and this one sounds fabulous. I have all of Giada's books but may not have noticed this one. I will definitely try this very soon.
Carolyn/A Southerners Notebook
Giada does rock! I am loving this Ziti. The mini meatballs are just perfect
Be still my heart! This looks delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Have a wonderful weekend filled with good food.
Best,
Bonnie
I'm totally into this for the weekend..
cook once..eat three times!
yeahhh….
wow, your baked ziti looks absolutely delicious! What a beautiful looking dish that's also comforting and satisfying.
Amy
http://utry.it
I must agree…I first tried baked ziti when I was 13, and I fell in love. I may have to make this tomorrow night! Thank you for sharing with me tonight. I hope you have a great Friday. I'm so ready for the weekend!
That's a killer recipe, Kathleen. I love those mini meatballs. Cheese and more cheese is how I love my baked ziti!
looks yummy! come visit my new blog! daybydaysunshine.blogspot
This sounds wonderful! I seldom do a baked pasta dish but I have got to try this soon 🙂
Ziti Casserole is always a hit in our house. This looks like a great version with the mini meatballs, that would go over well with my crew :o)
I think I'll make this with mini ziti to go along with the mini meatballs!!!
Those meatballs are so cute and tiny! I love everything about this recipe!
-abeer @ http://www.cakewhiz.com
I'm totally won over by the mini meatballs. I know this would be a real family pleaser.
Love baked ziti! Adding the mini meatballs is such a good idea 🙂 My husband would go crazy for this one for sure!
Giada never disappoints me with her Italian dishes. This looks amazing!
One of my boyfriends favorite dishes is baked ziti…I think he would love it with the meatballs too! Thanks for the idea!
I love baked ziti. Yours sounds great. Love the idea of the little meatballs:)
That looks ah-mazing!!! I don't get to cook cheesy dishes often b/c my husband doesn't like cheese (he is a freak). Your recipe looks fantastic! Visiting from Tasty Tuesday. Hope you'll stop by my blog to say hi. 🙂
Baked ziti IS the best pasta dishes of all time. And you just elevated this dish here. This looks amazing.
A great hit ?
That looks great. I love baked ziti, mini meatballs would just bring it up a level. I would love this!
I love a good baked ziti – but with meatballs? I'm sure it would be the only meal I would want to eat every day for the rest of my life. Delicious!
Mmmmm looks delish! Mini meatballs! Too cute!
Wow! That looks absolutely fantastic. 🙂 I love the idea of the mini meatballs. They're so cute. 🙂 And all that wonderful fresh basil must be splendid!
the mini meat balls are adorables! love love love it 🙂
thanks for sharing!
-meg
@ http://www.clutzycooking.blogspot.com
@ http://www.myscribblednotebook.blogspot.com
Ziti! Now there's a pasta I haven't had recently. I need to add that in to a meal plan soon.