Cheesy Baked Ziti

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Cheesy Baked Ziti is a wonderful vegetarian dish and a perfect combination of layered pasta, three types of cheese and plenty of fresh basil. There's an easy way to make a fresh pasta red sauce here too. This made-from-scratch yummy main meal will inspire you to grab a big pasta bowl, scoop up and dig in.

Baked ziti on a plate with sauce on the top and a fork on the side. — Baked ziti is extra delicious with a scoop of red sauce on top when you serve it.

Ingredients to have on hand

Ziti pasta
Ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese
Canned, crushed tomatoes
Italian seasoning
Fresh basil
Fresh garlic and onion

Pasta

Ziti pasta does work best in Cheesy Baked Ziti, hence the name. But it's not the only type of pasta you can use. Any tube-shaped pasta, such as penne will create great results.

Chopped onion, garlic and basil on a cutting board. — Garlic and onion combine with fresh basil for a scrumptious pasta red sauce.

No Meat in This Recipe

This Cheesy Baked Ziti has no meat and is the ideal recipe to serve your vegetarian friends and family. The red sauce, the cheese sauce - everything is meat-free. But make no mistake, this hearty pasta dish is full of delicious cheeses and the red sauce is brimming with seasoning and garlic so there's no skimping on flavor.

Mozzarella, parmesan and ricotta cheese in a large bowl. — Look at all that cheese! Three types, and the flavors blend together beautifully.

San Marzano Tomatoes

I highly recommend using the San Marzano variety of canned tomatoes for this recipe. That's an heirloom-type tomato and similar to Roma tomatoes, which are my favorite to make pasta sauces and soups. The San Marzanos have a slightly sweeter taste, which is why I love them in this recipe. I use this canned variety, but there are lots of great options for crushed tomatoes in the canned tomato aisle. Be sure to use crushed, not diced tomatoes.

The first layer of pasta doesn't need sauce added (photo, left). Add the red sauce after you've created two layers of ziti (photo, right).

Plenty of Red Sauce

This pasta recipe calls for three 28-ounce cans of tomato sauce, meaning there will be plenty of sauce left over after you assemble the ziti in the dish.

Keep the extra pasta red sauce warm on the stove and serve it with the baked ziti. Spoon the extra sauce on top of each serving, it's delicious this way and is especially good on baked ziti leftovers.

Cheesy Baked Ziti in a baking dish, on a stovetop. — The sauce is added as the top layer and settles into the layered ziti noodles.

What can I substitute for ricotta cheese?

Ricotta cheese has a distinctively creamy texture but as a general rule, small-curd cottage cheese is an excellent substitute for ricotta. The flavor is similar, but keep in mind, even with a small-curd cottage cheese, the texture is different than ricotta.

I've used cottage cheese instead of ricotta many times and it's yummy. I've heard some folks use goat cheese, cream cheese and even sour cream as a substitute for ricotta so there are plenty of options.

Red sauce with Italian seasoning in a large stock pot on the stove. — Stir in plenty of Italian seasoning in this red sauce, that's the secret to great flavor.

Other Pasta Recipes

Cheesy Baked Ziti will likely remind you of dinner at your favorite Italian restaurant, and if you are in the mood for other pasta options I've got a few ideas for you! Make Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and wow your crowd with classic comfort food. Or how about an option for the meat-lover in the family? My Homemade Meatballs are the perfect addition to a big plate of spaghetti, and this Tomato-Sauce and Fresh Pesto are delicious on any type of pasta. Enjoy!

Recipe