Comfort food at its best! This Baked Ziti Recipe is loaded with pasta, beef, rich tomato sauce, and three cheeses.
author’s note
The Baked Ziti That Actually Lives Up to the Hype!
I’ve loved baked ziti ever since my first trip to Italy. Every restaurant seemed to have their version of it, and I quickly learned that not all baked ziti is created equal. Some were rich and saucy, others were dry and disappointing.
When I came home, I was determined to make a version that would rival the incredible ones I had overseas. After testing different pasta-to-sauce ratios (yes, that part really matters!) and playing with combinations of cheeses, I finally landed on this version.
It’s creamy, saucy, cheesy, and full of flavor. The kind of dinner where everyone grabs seconds, and the leftovers are just as good. I even loved it so much that I made a quicker Instant Pot version for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Why It Works / Swaps |
|---|---|
| Ziti pasta | Classic choice, but penne, rigatoni, or rotini all work. Just make sure to undercook by 2 minutes before baking. |
| Ground beef | Swap with Italian sausage for extra spice or ground turkey/chicken for something lighter. |
| Tomatoes | Fire-roasted canned tomatoes give a smoky, rich depth. My go-to brands: Muir Glen or Cento. |
| Mascarpone cheese | My secret weapon for creaminess. Ricotta can be used, but mascarpone keeps it luscious and prevents dryness. |
| Mozzarella, Parmesan & Mascarpone | The trio that makes this ziti irresistible. Mozzarella for gooey melt, Parmesan for salty bite, mascarpone for creaminess. |
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 until 2 minutes under al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Brown meat: Sauté beef with garlic and onions until browned. Season well.
- Make sauce: Add tomatoes, paste, and seasonings. Simmer until rich.
- Add cheese: Stir mascarpone into the hot sauce until creamy.
- Assemble: Layer pasta, sauce, and cheese in a baking dish. Repeat layers.
- Bake: Cover with foil 10 minutes, then uncover and bake until bubbly and golden.
Quick Tip
Let the baked ziti rest 5–10 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken and soak into the pasta. Cutting too soon will leave the juices pooling at the bottom.
Storage
- Make ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate this baked ziti recipe up to 24 hours. Add 10–15 minutes when baking.
- Freeze: Assemble, cool, and wrap tightly. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw 30 minutes, bake covered 1 hour, then uncover 10–15 minutes.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water until saucy.
More Comfort Food:
Baked Ziti
Video
Equipment
- Large pan nonstick
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 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 fennel seed crushed; optional
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese or ricotta cheese, see note 1
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1/2 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup freshly grated 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.
- 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!
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.
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
*I originally shared this recipe October 24, 2020. Updated the post, not the recipe, on September 23, 2025.
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!