Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole is a comforting pasta dish that's quick, kid-approved, and always a crowd-pleaser. It layers ziti noodles with creamy ricotta, hearty marinara and melted mozzarella. It's an easy way to bring cozy, homey Italian-inspired comfort food to your dinner table.
This easy, made-from-scratch pasta recipe is meatless, just like Sweet Potato Lasagna.
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Ingredients to Have on Hand
- (Affiliate link) Ziti Pasta: You could use other shapes of pasta as long as they're a similar size. Any tube-shaped pasta, such as penne, will create great results.
- Cheese: Ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese create that distinctive, creamy cheesy flavor and texture.
- Canned, crushed tomatoes: Be sure to use crushed, not diced tomatoes.
- Spices: Italian seasoning and fresh basil
- Onion and Garlic: These are the flavor boosters!
Scroll to the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Why You'll Enjoy Cheesy Baked Ziti
It's a delicious, meatless main dish and is the ideal recipe to serve your vegetarian friends and family.
Ziti casserole is classic, Italian-inspired eating, brimming with a rich red sauce and three types of cheese.
This is a fast meal to prepare, ready in under an hour!
Pro Tip
I highly recommend using the (affiliate link) 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.
Simmer the Red Sauce
Cheesy, Baked Ziti Casserole 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. The red sauce is scratch-made and ready in about 20 minutes.
Pro Tip
Keep the extra 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.
How to Layer the Ziti Casserole
Place half of the pasta mixture in the baking dish and dot the surface with about ½ cup of ricotta cheese.
Top with the remaining pasta and pour three cups of the remaining tomato sauce on top.
Dollop with remaining ricotta cheese and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
Recipe FAQs
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.
Absolutely! This is a great option if you're making the casserole in advance or even if you plan to share it with someone to prepare when the time is right for them. Simply assemble the ziti in a freezer-safe baking dish, but don't bake it yet. Wrap it tightly with a layer of heavy-duty foil. Label and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to enjoy it, bake straight from frozen at 375°F for about 60-75 minutes, removing the foil during the last 15 minutes to let the top brown.
Leftover baked ziti casserole can be frozen once it has completely cooled. Either wrap the entire dish in foil or put portions into airtight, individual serving containers. Reheat from frozen, covered in the oven at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, or use the microwave for smaller servings.
Pro Tip
If you're planning to freeze baked ziti, undercook the pasta by 1-2 minutes. This helps it hold up better in the freezer and even during reheating. Also, be extra generous with the red sauce since freezing can dry things out a little.
Other Pasta Recipes
Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole 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 Cream Sauce and Fresh Pesto are delicious on any type of pasta. Enjoy!
More Dinner Recipes
If you tried Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you!
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