Baked ziti with ricotta is a decadent Italian delicacy that rises high above many typical pasta recipes. Though simple to assemble, this ziti pasta exudes sophistication and confidence in all its splendor. People will think you spent hours in the kitchen.
There are plenty of recipes for this hearty classic, but none as divinely inspired as this (IMHO!). The melty mozzarella topping, Italian meat sauce, and beautiful ricotta filling are broken into bite-sized portions by the amiable ziti pasta. It’s enough to make you salivate. Baked ziti with ricotta is perfect for a cozy family dinner or a decadent potluck course.
If you love delicious cheesy baked pasta as much as we do, I hope you’ll try our quick and easy weeknight ravioli lasagna, shortcut cannelloni,my amazing shortcut stuffed shells, and my five cheese ziti al forno! I promise your family will love them all!! ♥
What I Love About Baked Ziti with Ricotta Recipe
I love that this baked ziti with ricotta is so simple to make even though it tastes like a million bucks! With an easy 20-minute prep time, you can still get it in the oven for a family meal even on a busy schedule. The recipe is also flexible, so its easy to suit personal tastes and dietary restrictions.
It tastes just like grandma used to make in less than half the time! Here are some other reasons to fall in love with this recipe.
- Hearty and filling
- Robust meat sauce with garlic
- Easy 20-minute prep
- Plenty of melty cheese
- On the table in under an hour
Baked Ziti with Ricotta Recipe Notes
- Pasta Water: I know I sound like a broken record, but it is so important to salt the pasta water. I find that 1-2 tablespoons is adequate for about 4 quarts of water. The pasta absorbs some of the water as it cooks so you want that water to be well-seasoned. If you have any doubt at all, try a taste test. Cook just a little bit of pasta both ways and taste them.
- Al Dente: You’ll also want to cook your ziti pasta al dente which is still a little firm in the middle. Of course, cook it to your liking. I’m just saying that since pasta is the cornerstone of your dish, you want well-seasoned pasta that isn’t mushy when you take it out of the oven.
- Layers: Believe it or not, it does matter how you set up your layers in your baked ziti with ricotta. You should always start with pasta, meat sauce and then ricotta. Of course, spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan first to prevent the ziti from sticking. Layering in this manner will ensure that there is just the right amount of each ingredient in every bite.
- Let It Rest! Lastly, be sure to let your baked ziti with ricotta rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This is not a myth or an old wives’ tale as some people claim. The reason for this is to let your dish ‘set up’ so that all the beautiful flavors can mingle, and you don’t end up with a soupy mess upon serving.
- Pan Size: Our recipe fills a Pyrex 9X13 to the absolute maximum pan capacity. We pressed the top layer gently down with the back of a large spatula. If you happen to have a ceramic 9X13-inch dish with an ever so slightly larger capacity, I suggest using that.
- Spillovers: Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet before placing it in the oven. It will catch any spillovers (I’ve never had any, even in my Pyrex dish) but it also makes it easier to move the baking dish in and out of the oven.
Baked Ziti with Ricotta Ingredients
- Veggies: While it can be tempting to throw this baked ziti with ricotta together in one shot, make sure you take the time to sauté the onion. Sautéing veggies before adding them to a recipe helps rid them of their bitterness and brings out their sweet mellow characteristics. It adds layers of aroma and flavor to any dish.
- Spaghetti Sauce: It is also important to choose a great-tasting spaghetti sauce for this recipe. Don’t go in search of the cheapest sauce on the grocery store shelf. Your baked ziti with ricotta will taste so much better with a quality spaghetti sauce. Of course, you can make your own but that will take much longer, and it certainly isn’t necessary for a great-tasting dish.
- Meat: I prefer ground beef for this recipe, but other ground meats will work too. Feel free to use ground turkey or ground chicken if that is what you are used to cooking with.
- Spices: Lastly, I know the nutmeg sounds a little misplaced in the ricotta filling, but I promise you don’t want to skip it. This is the ‘secret ingredient’ that gives your dish that extra something special and it adds to the fragrant aromas that tempt the tummy!
- Ziti Pasta
- Salt & Pepper
- Italian Seasoning
- Ricotta
- Eggs
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan Cheese
How To Make Baked Ziti With Ricotta
- Spread half of the meaty sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spread half of the cooked pasta over the meat sauce.
- Repeat the layers then spread half of the ricotta mixture.
- Repeat the remaining layers. Cover and bake. Add the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese melts.
- Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
***See the full instructions below.
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Storing your ziti sauce is so simple. I just take the leftovers and put them in an airtight container in the fridge. It makes a fantastic brown bag lunch the next day but there often isn’t enough left. Inevitably, someone gobbles it up before the night is out! Depending on how much you have left, you can separate and store in single-serve portions too.
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? If you have made this dish ahead of time and parked it in the fridge, you should cook it within 2 days.
- If you are storing leftovers, the USDA recommends 3-4 days if stored properly in an airtight container at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to observe the 2-hour window for serving at potlucks and get-togethers.
- Can You Freeze This? Absolutely, you can freeze this baked ziti with ricotta. Simply prepare as directed and cool to room temperature. Then wrap and freeze accordingly. I often make a double batch and freeze one of them for a ready-made meal during the busy week.
- You can also freeze your baked ziti in single-serve portions that are easy to pull out a couple at a time. It makes great afterschool snacks for teenagers and even better weekend lunches for the busy family!
- Make Ahead Tips: You can certainly prepare this dish ahead of time for convenience and there are a couple of different ways you can do it. First, you can put the whole thing together, cover it, and park it in the fridge instead of the oven.
- You can also go ahead and prepare the meat sauce ahead of time, label it, and freeze it by itself. Just toss it in the fridge to slowly thaw the day before you’re ready to cook. When you want to make your baked ziti with ricotta, boil the ziti and mix the filling. It’ll be ready for the oven in no time flat.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link.
Serving Recommendations
I like to serve this with my fully loaded Mediterranean salad or a simple green salad tossed with my easy-peasy homemade balsamic vinaigrette, simple roasted peppers, or my roasted green beans loaded with pancetta and sweet roasted shallots!
In our family, a meal isn’t complete without a side of bread! This is delicious with my truly amazing garlic bread, copycat Olive Garden bread sticks, or yummy garlic and herb parker house rolls.
Top everything with my tiramisu, strawberry tiramisu, or little, incredibly amazing, Italian Christmas cookies, Italian wedding cookies, amaretti cookies, or ricotta cookies!
More Delicious Baked Pastas
- Baked Mostaccioli
- Baked Ziti With Sausage
- Baked Ziti With Meat
- Quick + Easy Chicken Spaghetti
- Baked Spaghetti
- Chicken Lasagna
- Million Dollar Spaghetti (Viral for almost 10 years!)
- Spaghetti Pie
- Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
- Buffalo Chicken Lasagna
- Lasagna Casserole
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Baked Ziti with Ricotta
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (24-ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
- 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Ricotta Filling:
- 24 ounces ricotta
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
Pasta:
- 12 ounces ziti pasta uncooked
Topping:
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177ºC).
- Make Sauce: Heat olive oil (2 tablespoons), over medium-high heat, in a large, high-sided skillet. Add onion (1 cup)and saute until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Moderate heat so as not to brown onion. Turn heat to medium-low, add minced garlic (1 tablespoon), and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
- Add beef (2 pounds), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), and black pepper (1 teaspoon) to skillet and cook, over medium heat, until no longer pink; drain as needed. Stir in spaghetti sauce (2 jars) and add Italian seasoning (3 teaspoons).
- Make Ricotta Filling: In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese (24 ounces), eggs (2), nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon), Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon), mozzarella cheese (1 cup), and Parmesan (1 cup).
- Pasta: Cook pasta (12 ounces) according to package directions. Drain well.
- Assembly: Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish and swirl to cover the bottom. Spread 1/2 of cooked pasta in the baking dish, then spoon a 1/2 of the meat sauce, then dollop 1/2 ricotta mixture-spreading it into an even layer with an offset spatula. Repeat with remaining layers, ending with ricotta mixture.Place on a rimmed cookie sheet.
- Cover and bake for about 40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Pasta Water: I know I sound like a broken record, but it is so important to salt the pasta water. I find that 1-2 tablespoons is adequate for about 4 quarts of water. The pasta absorbs some of the water as it cooks so you want that water to be well-seasoned. If you have any doubt at all, try a taste test. Cook just a little bit of pasta both ways and taste them.
- Al Dente: You’ll also want to cook your ziti pasta al dente which is still a little firm in the middle. Of course, cook it to your liking. I’m just saying that since pasta is the cornerstone of your dish, you want well-seasoned pasta that isn’t mushy when you take it out of the oven.
- Layers: Believe it or not, it does matter how you set up your layers in your baked ziti with ricotta. You should always start with pasta, meat sauce and then ricotta. Of course, spread a layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan first to prevent the ziti from sticking. Layering in this manner will ensure that there is just the right amount of each ingredient in every bite.
- Let It Rest! Lastly, be sure to let your baked ziti with ricotta rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This is not a myth or an old wives’ tale as some people claim. The reason for this is to let your dish ‘set up’ so that all the beautiful flavors can mingle, and you don’t end up with a soupy mess upon serving.
- Pan Size: Our recipe fills a Pyrex 9X13 to the absolute maximum pan capacity. We pressed the top layer gently down with the back of a large spatula. If you happen to have a ceramic 9X13-inch dish with an ever so slightly larger capacity, I suggest using that.
- Spillovers: Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet before placing it in the oven. It will catch any spillovers (I’ve never had any, even in my Pyrex dish) but it also makes it easier to move the baking dish in and out of the oven.
Nutrition
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Arel says
This recipe has been a really special recipe for me.
Kathleen says
Awww! Enjoy, Arel!
Danielle says
I’ve been making big ziti for years but never followed a recipe. I always felt like mine was a little dry. I decided to try this recipe, and I absolutely love it!! I will be following it again for sure! I used a combination of ground beef and Italian chicken sausage. Thank you!
Kathleen says
Wow, thank you so much, Danielle! That sounds so meaty and yummy. Thank you for trying this baked ziti! 🙂
Andrew jeannette says
I freaking love this meal. It’s only me and my wife ,so every time I make it it lasts a week. I make it once or twice a year just so we don’t get used to it. It’s a treat. Thank you
Kathleen says
Thank you so much! I’m happy you both like this recipe 🙂
Ciera says
I accidentally put the mozzarella cheese on before baking it for the 40 min. What do you recommend?
Kathleen says
Hi Ciera. It will be fine. I just like the cheese texture better the other way 🙂
Sherry Perry says
Can you substitute ricotta with cottage cheese?
Kathleen says
Hi, Sherry! Yes, you can. 🙂
We also have other baked ziti recipes for you to try. Enjoy!
https://www.gonnawantseconds.com/5-ziti-pasta-recipes/
ann says
If I use cottage cheese, I like to hit it with the stick blender to smooth it out. I sometimes use a combo of ricotta and cottage cheese.
James Macdonald says
Easy to make very go and filling
Kathleen says
Thank you for sharing your positive review, James! 🙂
Donna says
Excellent!!!! Recipe easy to follow and the baked ziti was fabulous!
Kathleen says
Thanks so much, Donna! I’m so happy you enjoyed. I love this Ziti!
Lucy G says
My picky husband loved it!!! Changes: I used marinara sauce with a little merlot, sauteed red and green peppers, a dash of Worcester sauce and some crushed red pepper. The base recipe is brilliant in terms of proportions and ingredients. I baked it at 375 (instead of 350) because of the extra bulk..
Kathleen says
So happy you and your hubby enjoyed!! <3
Kathleen says
Hi, Lucy! That’s great! I love your tweaks. Thank you for sharing your positive review 🙂
Mirella says
Can you freeze it , if so cooked or uncooked.
Thanks.
Kathleen says
Hi, Mirella. Absolutely, you can freeze this baked ziti with ricotta. Simply prepare as directed and cool to room temperature. Then wrap and freeze accordingly. I often make a double batch and freeze one of them for a ready-made meal during the busy week. You can also freeze your baked ziti in single-serve portions that are easy to pull out a couple at a time.
Claire Ann Zmyslo says
Loved this! So yummy. Thank you.
Kathleen says
Thank you so much for the positive review, Claire! 🙂
Rita says
This is so good. I’m not much for tweaking recipes but I did add some sugar and hot pepper flakes to the sauce. I made it with bow tie pasta and layered it in a casserole. I cut the recipe in half except for the noodles. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers later in the week.
Kathleen says
Hi, Rita! I’m so glad you like this. Gotta add some hot pepper flakes next time too! 🙂
Diane S Farias says
Made this gor Christmas dinner and my picky brother liked it. Super easy to prrpare . The nutmeg anddrd sn extra something special. Will be making it again
Kathleen says
Yay! Thank you, Diane! So happy you love this ziti 🙂
Kathleen says
So glad you enjoyed the Ziti, Diane!
Wanda says
it was terrific, husband who is a picky eater liked it too, I didn’t have any ziti noodles so I had to use penne, would definitely make again.
thanks for sharing this.
Kathleen says
That’s fantastic, Wana! So happy you like it 🙂
Teresa Mucci Casey says
My ancestors are from Naples, Italy and they call it GRAVY and so do I.. I read the Soprano Cook Book and it says “Why the call it Gravy” and the Soprano Cookbook Italians are from Naples.. I guess it depends on what part of Italy your are from.
I LOVED your baked Ziti,
Thank you
Teresa Mucci
Kathleen says
Hi, Teresa! Thank you for your positive review. I appreciate it!
Christine says
Can I make this a meatless dish? Thanks!
Kathleen says
Hi, Christine. I haven’t tried that but yes you can 🙂 Enjoy!
Nancy says
This recipe was awesome! I followed recipe but added more shredded mozzerella to the top layer and sprinkled some basil as well. It was delicious!
Kathleen says
So glad you enjoyed the Ziti, Nancy! It’s in our permanent dinner rotation! <3
Shanda K. says
I love this recipe and have made it numerous times for my family. The only thing I did different was added heavy cream to the ricotta filling. Everything else was just like your recipe.
Kathleen says
Shada, I’m so happy to hear you and your family are enjoying this recipe! The heavy cream sounds like a great idea!
Trisha says
So I made this tonight and ended up using 2 pans. Can I cover the one pan and put in freezer? This made way too much for just one 13×9.
Kathleen says
Hi, Trisha. Yes, you can freeze the other pan. Thank you, enjoy!
Stacy says
Oh my word! This turned out AMAZING! I used homemade sauce because I’m super picky and love my sauce, but other than that, it was all your recipe. Thank you!
Kathleen says
You’re so welcome, Stacy! I love this baked ziti too!
Suzanne. says
Hi. British person here. What is spaghetti sauce? Like a marinara sauce? No meat?
Can’t wait to try the recipe. Thanks!
Kathleen says
Hi Suzanne. Yes, you have it exactly right!
David McElroy says
Mom always said that Italians call tomato sauce “gravy”, But what did she know? She’s Irish.
So I went looking for the difference, and found this good explanation:
https://georginascary.com/2020/08/gravy-sauce-or-marinara/
Kathleen says
Thanks, David! I hope you try my Sunday Gravy. It’s amazing!!
Cecilia b says
They do not call it gravy in Italy they call it sauce. I’ve been to Italy. Italians who came off the boat here in America started calling it gravy to assimilate. The Germans used a lot of gravy, so Italians started to call their sauce gravy. I
Kathleen says
Well. gosh, that’s really interesting. Thank you!
Jane odwalla says
My Italian grandmother called it gravy if there was meat in it, otherwise tomato sauce
Kathleen says
Hi, Suzanne! Yes, you’re right. 🙂 Enjoy and let us know how it turns out!
Raquel Lynch says
Excellent! I changed 1 thing, I used hot italian sausage out of the casings. Exquisite! Thanks for the recipe
Kathleen says
That’s perfect, Raquel!