Baked Ziti Recipe is loaded with tender ziti, a rich beef and tomato sauce, and layers of cheese baked until hot and bubbly.
author’s note
My Husband’s Death Row Dinner
My husband loves a saucy tomato and beef or sausage pasta. It’s hands down his favorite kind of dinner. Anytime I make lasagna, he practically guards the leftovers with his life or packs them up right away for work the next day.
So when he randomly requested baked ziti one day, I knew this recipe had a lot to live up to. My husband almost never asks me to make specific dinners, so when he actually makes a request, I take it very seriously.
After months of testing and tweaking, it finally earned a spot here. When he tried my final version, he looked at me and said, “No joke, this is my death row meal.” Goal accomplished!
This baked ziti recipe is creamy, saucy, cheesy, and packed with deep, rich flavor. I can confidently say it’s the best baked ziti I’ve ever had.
Baked Ziti Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Ziti pasta | Ziti is classic, but penne or rigatoni also work well if that’s what you have. Cook pasta 2 minutes under al dente since it finishes baking in the oven. |
| Ground beef & onion | I use lean (93/7) ground beef for less grease. |
| Garlic, fennel, basil, oregano, paprika, bouillon & seasonings | Don’t skip the crushed fennel. It gives that classic Italian sausage flavor without actually adding sausage! |
| Tomato paste, tomato sauce, fire-roasted crushed tomatoes & Worcestershire | Fire-roasted tomatoes add extra depth and make the sauce taste like it simmered all day. |
| Mascarpone, mozzarella & Parmesan | I use three cheeses in this baked ziti recipe for a reason: mozzarella for that melty texture, Parmesan for flavor, and mascarpone for an extra creamy finish. |
Featured Comment
“Once again you have perfected the balance of flavors — creamy, spicy, meaty, cheesy & savory, all combined for the perfect comfort food. We loved it!”
– Pam
How to Make Baked Ziti Recipe
- Cook Pasta: Boil pasta in salted water, drain, and set aside.
- Brown Meat: Sauté onion, cook beef, then stir in seasonings and aromatics.
- Make Sauce: Add tomato ingredients and simmer until rich and slightly thickened.
- Layer: Toss pasta with sauce. Layer with cheeses and remaining sauce in baking dish.
- Bake: Cover and bake, uncover and add more cheese, then bake until hot, bubbly, and melted.
Chelsea’s Notes
My Top Tips
- Shred your own cheese: It melts smoother than pre-shredded cheese.
- Use a deep dish: A deeper 9×13-inch pan helps prevent overflow.
- Cover: Foil keeps this baked ziti recipe saucy and prevents it from drying out.
- Taste the sauce: Tomato brands vary, so adjust with extra salt or a pinch more sugar if needed.
What To Serve With Baked Ziti Recipe
- Garlic bread or French bread (perfect for soaking up sauce!)
- Italian salad with a zippy vinaigrette
- Bruschetta as a starter
- Roasted veggies like asparagus, zucchini, or broccoli
- Caprese salad for something fresh and bright on the side
Storage
Leftovers: Store leftover baked ziti recipe in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth if needed to bring back the sauce.
Make ahead: Make the meat sauce, grate the cheese, and boil the pasta ahead of time. Assemble before baking, then add 10 to 15 extra minutes to the covered bake time.
Freeze: Cook pasta slightly under al dente and toss with a little oil before assembling. Assemble with completely cooled layers, but stop before the final cheese layer. Cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw & bake: Thaw in the fridge 24 hours. Bake covered at 350°F for 25 minutes, uncover, add cheese, and bake 10 minutes more. Thawing is best for texture.
More Comfort Food:
Baked Ziti Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
Ingredients
- Cooking spray plus Salt and pepper
- 4 cups uncooked ziti pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon finely minced garlic 4 cloves
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion 1 medium onion
- 1 pound lean ground beef 93/7g
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons fennel seed crushed, see note 1
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese or ricotta cheese, see note 1
- 1-1/2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or basil, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and the ziti. Cook according to package directions, but reduce the cook time by 2 minutes. Drain and return pasta to the pot. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick pan over high heat. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes. Push onion to the sides and add beef to the center. Let sear briefly, then crumble and begin cooking. While the beef cooks, add paprika, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, beef bouillon powder, sugar, and red pepper flakes if using. Continue cooking and crumbling until the beef is fully cooked through.
- Add tomato paste, garlic, crushed fennel, basil, and oregano. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- While sauce simmers, freshly shred mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Open mascarpone.
- Add 2-1/2 cups meat sauce to the cooked pasta and stir to evenly coat.
- Spread half of the sauced pasta into the prepared baking dish. Dollop mascarpone evenly over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Spoon 2 cups meat sauce over the cheese layer. Add the remaining pasta, then top with another 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and the remaining meat sauce.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella on top, and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling.
- Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Top with extra Parmesan, fresh basil or parsley, and cracked black pepper if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Baked Ziti Recipe FAQs
Lasagna uses flat pasta sheets, while baked ziti uses tubular pasta like ziti, penne, or rigatoni. Same flavors, easier to assemble!
Not exactly. Ziti has smooth, straight edges. Penne has angled cuts and ridges. Both work in this recipe.
Yes! Cover with foil for the first 10 minutes so it doesn’t dry out. Then remove the foil and bake uncovered to let the cheese melt and bubble.
Hi Chelsea,
Making this again but going to freeze it!
What would you recommend for cooking, defrost first or cook frozen?
Love this recipe! 🙂 Thanks
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.
Hi Chelsea,
My question is: do you THAW it if frozen before cooking? Or cook FROZEN?
Thanks again!
Kathleen
Thaw first! Enjoy 🙂
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!