Comfort food at its finest — Baked Ziti made with tender pasta noodles, irresistible ground beef and tomato sauce, and a combination of three different kinds of cheese! 

 

Finished baked ziti in a casserole dish, with a scoop taken out to reveal the warm, flavor-packed layers inside.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is irresistibly cheesy, robustly flavored, and an all-around comforting meal. When the weather cools down, there’s nothing like a good hearty casserole and this dish delivers big time! Tender ziti noodles are generously covered in a well-seasoned meat sauce and plenty of cheese — in fact, three kinds of cheese!

We’ve got mozzarella, Parmesan, and mascarpone cheese in this ziti and once you try this combination, I doubt you’ll ever want to make it any other way! 

I’ve had my fair share of dry or lackluster baked pasta dishes, and I can assure you this is neither one of those. The pasta is generously coated with a sauce that is seasoned with myriad seasonings including basil and oregano; the cheeses add dimension and creaminess to the dish. Below I’ve got all the tips for success in making this recipe and answer frequently asked questions below that. Enjoy!

Sauteeing onion and garlic in olive oil, then adding ground beef to cook and crumble, with seasonings mixed in.Recipe tips

  • 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!)

Combining tomatoes, sauce, paste, and Worcestershire sauce to simmer; cooked pasta being drained and tossed with meat sauce, then half added to a casserole dish.

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:

Should I cover Baked Ziti while it’s baking? 

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!

Adding mascarpone to the first layer of pasta in a casserole dish, topped with mozzarella and Parmesan, followed by more layers of meat sauce and cheeses, then baked and garnished to finish the baked ziti recipe.

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. 

A bowl of baked ziti with sausage, showcasing a delicious and flavor-packed meal.

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.

More comfort food recipes

5 from 13 votes

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food with tender pasta, flavorful ground beef, rich tomato sauce, and three delicious cheeses!
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Equipment

  • Baking dish 9 x 13-inch
  • Medium pot
  • Large pan nonstick
  • Aluminum foil

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 crushed fennel seed 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 crushed fire-roasted 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 grated mozzarella cheese divided
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • Finely chopped Italian parsley or basil, optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400ยฐF, lightly grease a 9x13-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, sautรฉ onion for 5โ€“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, 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 10โ€“15 minutes or until slightly thickened, then stir in garlic powder.
  • Prep cheese by freshly grating 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 (itโ€™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 10โ€“15 more minutes until cheese is melted and edges are bubbling. Let stand at room temperature 5โ€“10 minutes.
  • Top with additional grated Parmesan, fresh basil or parsley, and/or freshly cracked black pepper, and serve hot!

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Mascarpone cheese is one of the secrets to this recipe. Itโ€™s similar to cream cheese but uses a base of whole cream rather than milk. It can usually be found in one of three places in the grocery store: the deli counter, the dairy section (near the cream cheese, sour cream, etc.), or the specialty foods section (near cheeses like brie). If you have a grocery store app, I recommend using that to quickly locate it. While you can use ricotta in its place, I can't recommend mascarpone enough!
Storage: If youโ€™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 youโ€™re ready to serve. When baking from the fridge, add on 10โ€“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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 445kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 883IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 490mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Meet Chelsea


Hello, and welcome to Chelseaโ€™s Messy Apron! Iโ€™m Chelsea, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind the site. Iโ€™m passionate about creating simple, reliable, and delicious recipes that anyone can make.

Thanks for stopping byโ€”I hope you find something delicious to make!

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5 from 13 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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23 Comments

  1. Pam says:

    5 stars
    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!

    1. Chelsea says:

      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!