Easy Baked Ziti – a decadent, easy pasta casserole dish that is meaty, gooey and cheesy. It’s a potluck favorite that can be a hearty side dish or as a main course. An absolute crowd-pleaser!

You already know what to expect when you smell the heavenly combination of cheese, pasta and tomato sauce cooking inside the the oven. For some reason, it makes the pasta lover in me so giddy like a child.

This easy baked ziti almost share the same ingredients with lasagna. But unlike lasagna, you’ll not be required to make some layers in this dish.

Although baked ziti may not fall under a no-brainer dish category in my kitchen definition (as you need to make the sauce from scratch), it’s still super simple to prepare compared to lasagna.

What is Baked Ziti?

Baked Ziti is a classic baked pasta dish using Ziti noodles. It’s a straight-cut tube pasta which holds sauce and bits of meat and cheese. If penne is a tube pasta cut diagonally, ziti on the other hand is cut straight up. This dish has tomato sauce as its base, with bits of meat and cheese mixed and  cooked and then baked to perfection. 

You’ll love how ridiculously gooey, cheesy and meaty this dish is. It’s as good as lasagna, only that it’s fuss-free.

Making this dish won’t keep you waiting that long. In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a comforting casserole sitting on the table to WOW your guests and impress your family.

You can use your preferred minced meat – be it pork, chicken, beef, turkey or even ground sausage. And how can we forget to add some bacon bits? You know how that bacon flavor adds some depth to any dish.

As for the cheese, traditional baked ziti would call for Ricotta cheese, but I leave it out as it has the tendency to get dry when baked. What I use instead is a freshly grated parmesan to fold in with the pasta and as toppings.

That beautiful melty cheesy pull is the hallmark of a good pasta casserole dish! Garnish it with some chopped parsley if you have it, or leave it out completely. You know I’m easy to talk to. You can wait for a few minutes to let all the flavors settle down or if you’re like me, you can go ahead and grab a huuuuge scoop of this cheesy, comforting and filling easy baked ziti. 

Enjoy!

Tips and Notes:

1. Aside from Ziti noodles, you can also use Penne, Mostaciolli or any kind of pasta that holds well the sauce and meat.
2. You can go for parmesan cheese alone or a combo of any of the following: mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese, romano, asiago.
3. You can use your preferred minced meat – be it pork, chicken, beef, turkey or ground sausage. Your call.
4. This easy baked ziti can be assembled ahead and refrigerated, covered in foil, for up to 2 days in advance. 
5. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

5 from 2 votes

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Easy Baked Ziti

Easy Baked Ziti – a decadent, easy pasta casserole dish that is meaty, gooey and cheesy. It’s a potluck favorite that can be a hearty side dish or as a main course. An absolute crowd-pleaser!

Course: Main, Side

Cuisine: American

Servings: 5 - 7 people

Calories: 931 kcal

Author: Immaculate Bites

Ingredients

• 3 strips of bacon , cut into tiny strips
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion , chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
• 1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 2 14 ounce can tomato sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 pound ziti pasta , cooked according to packaging
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt & pepper to taste
• olive oil, for cooking

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. 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.
   

2. 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. 
   

3. Throw in onion, garlic , thyme and Italian seasoning – saute for about 2-3 minutes or until onions is translucent.
   

4. Stir in tomato sauce and bay leaves.
   

5. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for at least 30- 45 minutes.
   

6. 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.
   

7. Once sauce is ready, remove bay leaf then add bacon and pasta . Adjust seasonings salt pepper

8. Stir in the parmesan cheese and mozzarella (leave about ½ cup or more to sprinkle on top).
   

9. Transfer to a greased 2-quart baking dish or 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese.
   

10. 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.
    

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.