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Comfort food at its finest — BakedZiti made with tender pasta noodles, irresistible ground beef and tomato sauce, and a combination of three different kinds of cheese!
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Say Hello To Your New Favorite Baked Ziti Recipe!
Baked ziti has always been one of my go-to dishes, especially when I’m dining at an Italian restaurant—it’s just a classic! But I’ve had my fair share of dry, underwhelming baked pasta, and I knew I wanted this one to rival the incredible ziti I’ve had in Italy.
After testing different pasta-to-sauce ratios and perfecting the combo of three cheeses, I finally nailed it. This dish turned out to be everything I dreamed of, and trust me, it’s one of those dinners that everyone will be asking for again!
Use good-quality canned tomatoes. By using fire-roasted tomatoes, we’re adding layers of flavor and a hint of smokiness with no extra work. Score! I love Muir Glen® or Cento® fire-roasted crushed tomatoes best (not sponsored). For the tomato paste and sauce, I recommend the best-quality tomatoes you can find, since these really form the flavor base of the sauce.
Under-boil the ziti noodles. Since we’ll bake the ziti after it’s been boiled, make sure to drain it 2 minutes before the package suggests it’s al dente. This way, as it bakes it will end up perfectly tender instead of potentially mushy.
Season at every step. Seasoning is very important for this dish and we want to season as we cook (while also keeping in mind that the Parmesan cheese adds more saltiness to the dish as a whole). I like to salt the pasta water as the ziti cooks (thus seasoning the ziti), seasoning the meat, and seasoning the meat sauce. Taste all the elements as you cook and add a dash more if any of the flavors seem flat.
Mascarpone cheese
This is one of the secrets to this phenomenal Baked Ziti. If you aren’t familiar Mascarpone cheese, it’s similar to cream cheese, but uses a base of whole cream rather than milk (so you know this is going to be good!) It’s an unaged fresh cheese and can be found usually in one of three places in the grocery store: the deli counter, in the dairy section (near the cream cheese, sour cream, etc.), or in the specialty foods section (near fancier cheeses like brie).
If you have a grocery store app, I recommend using that to quickly locate it in your specific store. While you can use ricotta in place of the mascarpone cheese, I can’t recommend the mascarpone enough — it makes this Baked Ziti irresistibly creamy with a heightened flavor. (Ricotta tends to dry out and get spongy when baked, while a mascarpone cheese more closely resembles a béchamel sauce without all the trouble of making it!)
Baked Ziti FAQs
What is the difference between lasagna and baked ziti?
The biggest difference is the pasta used. Lasagna is made with flat sheets of pasta, while baked ziti is made with a tubular pasta.
Is ziti the same as penne?
Ziti is similar to penne, but they aren’t the same. While both are generally the same shape and size, ziti is cut at square angles while the penne is cut at sharp angles. Penne has ridges and ziti is smooth.
There are lots of different types of pasta that will work in this recipe — ziti, penne, rigatoni, or rotini.
What goes with Baked Ziti?
There are so many sides that pair nicely with Baked Ziti. Below are our favorites:
Yes, I recommend covering the baked ziti with foil for the first 10 minutes. Then, uncover the dish and bake without foil to allow the cheese to melt on top!
Storage/Make Ahead
Make ahead: Follow recipe directions, letting the pasta and sauce cool to room temperature before assembling the dish. Once cool, assemble and cover tightly. Place in the fridge (or freezer) and bake when you’re ready to serve it. When baking from the fridge, you’ll want to add on about 10-15 minutes baking time (covered with foil).
Freeze: Assemble the dish when the pasta and sauce are cooled to room temperature and make sure the dish as a whole is completely cooled before freezing. Cover the (freezer-safe) filled casserole dish with a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Label and freeze the casserole for up to 3 months.
Heating from frozen: Reheating the frozen ziti is easy. Bring the casserole dish from the freezer to room temperature for about 30 minutes and then put it in the oven (covered) for 1 hour. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until melted and bubbly around the edges and on top.
Quick Tip
Allow this baked ziti to rest for 5-10 minutes before digging in. This will give a chance for that delicious sauce to settle into all the nooks and crannies of the pasta and thicken slightly. By digging in and serving it up immediately, the juices will pool at the bottom of the casserole dish, leaving the sauce tasting a bit thin.
Preheat oven to 400°F, lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
Cook ziti according to package instructions, but reduce time by 2 minutes. Season pasta water with 2 teaspoons salt. Drain pasta, return it to pot, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Once hot, sauté onion for 5–6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Push onion and garlic to the sides, add beef to the middle, and cook until browned. Add all seasonings: paprika, crushed fennel seed, onion powder, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, sugar, bouillon powder, and red pepper flakes (omit to reduce heat). Stir and cook 1 minute. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 10–15 minutes or until slightly thickened, then stir in garlic powder.
Prep cheese by freshly shredding mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on the large holes of a cheese grater. Open mascarpone cheese.
Add about 2 and 1/2 cups of meat sauce into the pot with the cooked ziti. Stir to coat.
Layer half the sauced pasta into prepared baking dish. Dollop with mascarpone and gently spread (it’s okay if it doesn’t spread smoothly). Add 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Add 2 cups of meat sauce and the remaining sauced ziti. Then top with another 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and remaining meat sauce.
Cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover and top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake 10–15 more minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Let stand at room temperature 5–10 minutes.
Top with additional grated Parmesan, fresh basil or parsley, and/or freshly cracked black pepper, and serve hot!
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Recipe Notes
Note 1: Mascarpone cheese is key to this recipe—richer than cream cheese, made from whole cream. Find it near the deli, dairy, or specialty cheeses. Ricotta works, but mascarpone is best!Storage: If you’re making ahead of time, follow recipe directions, letting pasta and sauce cool to room temperature before assembling, then cover tightly. Place in the fridge (or freezer) and bake when ready to serve. When baking from the fridge, add 10–15 minutes baking time (covered with foil). To freeze, assemble the dish when the pasta and sauce are cooled to room temperature, making sure the dish as a whole is completely cooled before freezing. Cover the (freezer-safe) filled casserole dish with a double layer of heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Hello, and welcome to Chelsea’s Messy Apron! I’m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. I’m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.
Thanks for stopping by—I hope you find something delicious to make!
Loved this baked Ziti!!! I made it for Christmas week to have on hand and it was a big hit for dinner and the left overs were amazing. Will definitely keep this receipe on hand! Followed the recipe and added some sweet sausage with the meat, and it had a great ‘kick’!!! Thank you! Will look to try some of your other recipes!
This recipe has become one of my FAVORITE pastas, and it really impresses the people I make it for. It’s exceptionally delicious and deserves 10 stars!!! (My husband likes it even better when I sub mild Italian sausage for the ground beef.) I plan to make it for someone who has recently had surgery, so I’d like to prepare it earlier in the day, refrigerate it, and deliver it for them to cook. How long do you think I should tell them to bake it if it’s starting cold? Thank you!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Pam! I haven’t tested the baking time from cold but I imagine it would only add on a few extra minutes, sorry I can’t be of more help! Thanks again!
Loved this baked Ziti!!! I made it for Christmas week to have on hand and it was a big hit for dinner and the left overs were amazing. Will definitely keep this receipe on hand! Followed the recipe and added some sweet sausage with the meat, and it had a great ‘kick’!!! Thank you! Will look to try some of your other recipes!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Kathleen!
This recipe has become one of my FAVORITE pastas, and it really impresses the people I make it for. It’s exceptionally delicious and deserves 10 stars!!! (My husband likes it even better when I sub mild Italian sausage for the ground beef.) I plan to make it for someone who has recently had surgery, so I’d like to prepare it earlier in the day, refrigerate it, and deliver it for them to cook. How long do you think I should tell them to bake it if it’s starting cold? Thank you!
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much for your comment Pam! I haven’t tested the baking time from cold but I imagine it would only add on a few extra minutes, sorry I can’t be of more help! Thanks again!