Cheesy Baked Ziti (Print View)

Baked ziti layered with marinara, ricotta, mozzarella, and herbs for a hearty and satisfying meal.

# Components:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound ziti or penne pasta

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
03 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
04 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Sauce

05 - 4 cups marinara sauce

→ Other

06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, blend ricotta, half of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil or Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Fold cooked pasta into the cheese mixture, ensuring even coating.
05 - Spread 1 cup marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of the baking dish. Layer half the pasta mixture over the sauce.
06 - Pour 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce atop the pasta layer and sprinkle with half of the remaining mozzarella.
07 - Add the remaining pasta mixture, then cover with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
09 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
10 - Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of dish you can throw together on a busy weeknight and still impress the people sitting at your table.
  • The layers of creamy ricotta and gooey mozzarella mean every bite has something different going on.
  • It genuinely gets better as it sits, so you can make it ahead and just pop it in the oven when you need it.
02 -
  • Undercook your pasta slightly—it will continue cooking in the oven, and overcooked ziti turns into mush no matter how perfect everything else is.
  • Don't skip the resting time at the end; it's the difference between neat slices and a delicious scramble.
  • Your oven might run hot or cold, so if the top is browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking.
03 -
  • Make this dish the morning of a dinner party, refrigerate it unbaked, then add 10 extra minutes to the baking time since it goes in cold—it's one less thing to stress about while guests are arriving.
  • If your mozzarella is clumpy after shredding, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before layering so it distributes more evenly.
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