Easy Baked Ziti is a decadent, simple pasta casserole dish that is meaty, gooey, and cheesy. This potluck favorite is an absolute crowd pleaser and serves as a hearty side dish or main course.

Contents What is Baked Ziti? Baked Ziti Ingredients Alternative Ingredients Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage FAQs What Goes with Baked Ziti More Recipes to Try How to Make Baked Ziti Watch How To Make It

This recipe is similar to lasagna when it comes to ingredients, but it’s way easier to put together. It’s so easy, in fact, that it has become one of my weeknight staples, especially when pressed for time because of work or the kid’s activities.

I mean, seriously, what could be better than the smell of cheese, pasta, and tomato sauce wafting from your oven after a long day?

What is Baked Ziti?

Baked ziti is a classic baked pasta dish using ziti noodles. It’s a straight-cut tube pasta, perfect for holding sauce and bits of meat and cheese. This dish has a tomato sauce base, pasta, meat, and cheese, all cooked and then baked to golden, bubbly perfection.

Baked Ziti Ingredients

• Bacon – Deliciously cured meat from the sides and belly of a pig is a flavoring or accent, or both!
• Italian Sausage – Pork sausage often seasoned with fennel and other spices makes for a flavorful meal that will excite your taste buds.
• Olive Oil – Aromatic and flavorful, this oil is necessary for any Italian-inspired recipe.
• Onion – Bold and tangy, sometimes sweet, onion adds depth of flavor and texture to this dish.
• Garlic – Fresh, minced garlic adds a huge dose of flavor and a beautiful aroma to this dish.
• Thyme – This herb adds something special to your tomato sauce with a subtle minty, earthy flavor. Fresh thyme is excellent, but dried thyme will work.
• Italian Seasoning – A mix of dried herbs adds a delightful Mediterranean flavor to pasta dishes.
• Tomato Sauce – Sweet and fresh flavors make tomato sauce the perfect complement for starchy pasta.
• Bay Leaves – A hint of mint flavor and a tea-like aroma add another layer of flavor to this dish.
• Ziti – Tube-shaped pasta with straight-cut ends forms the heart and soul of this pasta dish.
• Parmesan Cheese – Mild and perfectly salty, parmesan cheese really elevates this pasta dish.
• Mozzarella – A soft, white cheese with high moisture content.
• Salt – No dish is complete without this pantry staple that heightens every flavor it pairs with.
• Pepper – Mild heat is what pepper brings to the table.

Alternative Ingredients

• Italian Sausage – You can use any meat you like in this baked ziti recipe. Ground beef, turkey, pork, or even chicken will work just fine. You can also make a meat-free version.
• Thyme – If you don’t have fresh, don’t panic because dried will work fine. I also have a list of thyme substitutes that will save the day. Oregano and basil are my favorites.
• Mozzarella – Just about any cheese can substitute mozzarella. Your best bet is provolone, which has a very similar taste and texture. Swiss or white cheddar are also acceptable substitutes. If you want the same texture with non-cow dairy, kashkaval from sheep milk is fantastic.

Tips and Tricks

You may have noted that this recipe doesn’t include ricotta cheese as many baked ziti recipes do. Honestly, I found the ricotta a bit dry after baking and prefer to use freshly grated parmesan instead, which stays moist and gooey.

After you pull this pasta out of the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes so the cheese firms up and flavors can come together before serving.

Fresh herbs are an excellent garnish for this dish. Fresh chopped parsley or basil look so beautiful and taste amazing.

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can assemble this baked ziti ahead and refrigerate it covered for up to 2 days in advance. Simply put it in the oven and bake when you are ready to eat it. Honestly, it tastes better when you assemble it the day before.

Serving and Storage

Serve baked ziti fresh out of the oven and garnish with fresh herbs and even more grated parmesan cheese. Parsley and basil are excellent choices for garnishes.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to 5 days.

FAQs

What Goes with Baked Ziti

I love to serve this dish with bread and a salad. Homemade bread is the best, like my super easy no-knead bread or a batch of tasty garlic knot bread. I also like to serve this dish with a simple wedge salad or a flavorful Greek salad. Oh! And don’t forget to pour yourself a glass of your favorite red wine. 😉

More Recipes to Try

• Fettuccine Alfredo
• Sausage and Pasta
• Chicken Pasta Bake
• Rasta Pasta
• Blackened Shrimp and Pasta

How to Make Baked Ziti

Make the Pasta Sauce

• Saute the Bacon – In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crisp. This may take about 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Cook the Sausage –  In the same skillet, add Italian sausage to the pan, cook for about 3-5 minutes or until brown, and break it up to prevent clumping.
• Add the Seasonings – If you need more oil, add a little olive oil, then throw in the onion, garlic, thyme, and Italian seasoning – sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until onions are translucent.
• Add the Sauce – Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for at least 30-45 minutes.

Make the Pasta

• Cook the Pasta – While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta al dente (pasta with a bite to it). Do not overcook it! Nobody likes mushy pasta. 😝

Assemble and Bake

• Finish the Sauce – Once the sauce is ready, remove the bay leaf and add bacon and pasta.
• Taste Test – Perform a taste test (my favorite part!), then adjust salt, pepper, and seasonings as needed.
• Add the Cheese – Stir in the parmesan cheese and mozzarella, setting aside about ½ cup or more to sprinkle on top.
• Assembly – Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13″x9″ baking dish.
• Top with More Cheese – Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350℉/177℃ for about 20-30 minutes or until ziti is heated through and the top is slightly brown.
• Rest – Remove the dish from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
• Serve while it is still piping hot.

Watch How To Make It

This blog post was first published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional write-up and a video.

How to Make Baked Ziti

 In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crisp. This may take about 6 -7 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same skillet, add italian sausage to the pan, cook for about 3-5 minutes or until brown; breaking it up to prevent it from clumping. Throw in onion, garlic , thyme and Italian seasoning – saute for about 2-3 minutes or until onions is translucent.

Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for at least 30- 45 minutes. While sauce is simmering , cook the pasta al dente (pasta with a bite to it). Do not overcook; you do not want it becoming too mushy.

Once sauce is ready, remove bay leaf then add ,bacon and  pasta . Adjust seasonings salt pepper. Stir in the parmesan cheese and mozzarella (leave about ½ cup or more to sprinkle on top)

Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F for about 20 -30 minutes or until ziti is heated through. And top is slightly brown.Remove from oven and then let it rest for a few minutes and serve when it is still piping hot.