Baked Ziti is so much more than just a Bolognese pasta bake…. It’s a big, juicy baked pasta that’s loaded with flavour from a healthy dose of seasonings and topped with a generous amount of cheese. Cosy food that’s easy enough for midweek yet worthy of company.
Bonus: perfect freezer friendly meal!
Baked Ziti
Let’s be clear here – this is not just another pasta bake. This is the mother of all pasta bakes!
While some recipes might be satisfied making Baked Ziti using a basic meat sauce, this one is made with a good amount of seasonings which adds a TON of flavour into the meat itself which then seeps into the tomato sauce as it simmers away….
It’s one of the best pasta sauces you’ll ever make without simmering for hours like we do for Ragu. You may never make Bolognese again – just make spaghetti with THIS meat sauce instead!😂
What is Baked Ziti?
Baked Ziti is an American classic pasta bake made with a tomato based meat sauce similar to Bolognese. “Ziti” is a type of pasta that looks like penne, except it’s got a smooth surface rather than ridges.
While Baked Ziti is an Italian American dish, it has Italian origins – pasta bakes like this have existed in Italy for centuries!
There’s no definitive way to make it. Some people like to use all beef, others pork, and some use Italian sausages. People use different cheeses, some make it meatless, and everyone has different seasonings.
This version I make is a classic one – except I like to use a boost of extra seasonings so the meat sauce is loaded with flavour!
What goes in Baked Ziti
Here’s what goes in my Baked Ziti.
Meat – Use all beef for a classic version, though if you want to make the meat sauce even more amazing, then use 50/50 pork and beef (pork makes the meat sauce richer and adds flavour!).
Tomato Passata – While most recipes will use ordinary crushed tomato for the sauce, I opt to use Tomato Passata* – known as tomato puree in America – because it makes this pasta bake much juicier because it is thick and smooth so it creates a better sauce. There’s nothing sadder than breaking through that golden cheesy top to find dry pasta underneath!
In contrast, crushed or diced tomato has chunks of tomato in a more watery tomato sauce. It will still work, but the sauce won’t be as thick and won’t coat the pasta as well as pictured. To use canned tomato as a substitute, it’s best to add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, to help thicken it up a touch.
And here are the seasonings. Fennel is optional but if you use a combination of pork and beef for the meat sauce, it gives it an extra special touch because pork and fennel are a classic pairing!
How to make it
If you know how to make Bolognese, you’ll be right at home making Baked Ziti! After the meat sauce is made, it’s simply a matter of assembling:
Mix some of the meat sauce through the pasta;
Pour into baking dish;
Top with ricotta; and
Pour over remaining meat sauce then top with cheese.
America has a thing about adding ricotta into Lasagna type things which we here Down Under do not. But out of respect for authenticity, I’ve gone with ricotta in this Baked Ziti and I’m pretty sure I’ll never go back now. It’s like bonus creaminess in amongst all that tomatoey, meaty, cheesy goodness…. 😂
Quick tips
Can I make Baked Ziti ahead of time? Absolutely! Cook the ziti and sauce, then let them cool before assembling the Baked Ziti. Top with cheese then refrigerate or freeze, then bake when you want to serve it!
Should I cover Baked Ziti while it’s baking? Yes. Cover loosely with foil so it doesn’t stick to the cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil so the cheese can go bubbly and golden!
How long to leave Baked Ziti in the oven? 20 minutes covered then a further 10 to 15 minutes uncovered art 350F / 180C.
What can I use instead of ziti? Penne is a perfect substitute – it’s basically ziti but with ridges on the surface instead of being smooth. Spirals, macaroni and small shells would also be ideal here.
What can I use instead of tomato passata / tomato puree? Canned crushed tomato + 2 tablespoons of tomato paste is a suitable substitute. The pasta sauce won’t be quite as thick because canned tomato is a more watery sauce with chunks of tomato in it. The other (actually, better) substitute is what is called “tomato sauce” in America which is basically passata with a bit of seasonings in it. While readily available in US grocery stores, it’s not available here in Australia.
What goes with Baked Ziti
Here’s a few suggestions for things to serve on the side. Obviously nobody is going to complain if you bring some Garlic Bread to the table, but to get some greens into your meal, add a quick side salad! A classic pairing would be a Arugula/Rocket Salad with Balsamic Dressing and Shaved Parmesan.
Side salad suggestions to serve with Baked Ziti
Ahh, the weekend is here. I see myself on the couch tonight, coddling a bowl of this Baked Ziti and binge watching something brainless on Netflix. Now that is a Friday night worth planning! – Nagi x
Watch How To Make It
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Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 300g / 10oz ziti or penne pasta (Note 1)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion (brown, white or yellow), finely chopped
- 500g / 1 lb ground beef or pork OR 50/50 combo (Note 2)
- 700g / 24 oz tomato passata (pureed tomato, Note 3)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp EACH dried basil, oregano, sugar
- 1 cup ricotta , optional (Note 4)
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese (or other melting cheese)
- 1 cup parmesan , freshly grated (optional)
- Finely chopped parsley or basil (optional garnish)
Seasonings:
- 2 tsp fennel seeds (optional, Note 5)
- 1 tbsp paprika (plain or sweet)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper OR 3/4 tsp chilli flakes (adjust to taste)
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp EACH salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Cook ziti for the recommended cooking time on the packet MINUS 2 minutes. (Note 5) Drain, then return to pot.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Make Sauce: Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until onion is translucent.
- Add meat and cook, breaking it up as you go. When it is just cooked, add Seasonings and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add passata, water, basil, oregano and sugar. Bring to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste (remember it gets spread across lots of pasta).
- Toss Ziti with Sauce: Pour about 2 cups of sauce into the pot with the ziti. Toss.
- Assemble: Spread ziti into baking dish (23x33cm / 9×13"). Dollop with ricotta. Pour over remaining sauce. Top with cheese and parmesan.
- Bake: Cover loosely with foil. Bake 20 minutes. Remove foil, bake further 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is golden.
- Serve: Sprinkle with parsley or basil if desired, then serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published April 2016, modified October 2018 to include ricotta, and updated March 2020 with a new video!
More ways to get your pasta fix!
Life of Dozer
What could possibly be so interesting that he’s not heavy breathing on the bowl of pasta?? 🤔
A) A pretty lady-goldie
B) Grocery delivery truck
C) A bird
Hi Nagi , Made this a few days ago and it was lovely and I will definitely be making it again, you can’t buy Italian sausages where I am in France, in fact you can’t get any decent sausages, oh how I long for a good old British sausage, oh and bacon, getting carried away with food dreams now, so this recipe was perfect.
Love the pic of Dozer he is gorgeous.
Yay!! I am so glad you loved this Tricia, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Pasta bakes are my favourite comfort food! I don’t think I could complain about the cold weather if I had a plate of this in front of me!
I know, right??? I wait for the cooler weather before indulging in bakes like this!!
That Italian sausage mixture looks AMAZING. And so smart! I can never turn down a good, hearty, cheesy pasta and this is no exception. Love it!
Sounds like we both have the same weakness: carbs and CHEESE!!!!
Looks great. I never thought to combine sausage with a pasta dish, thanks for the idea
It’s a fantastic flavour combo!!! 🙂 N x
Over a decade ago when I lived in a group house, one of the boys was doing his cheffing apprenticeship, he learned how to make fancy sausages at school, so arrived home with a bunch of them, but being a poor household, he grabbed some pasta and tinned tomatoes and made this, well the poor person version of this. It is still to this day called ‘Super Pasta’. I will have to send him your recipe, reckon it might just inspire a house mate reunion. 🙂
This recipe was great! I made it last night and I know it was a hit because my 2 and 4 year old asked for 2nd helpings. They never eat anything I cook (unfortunately). The 4 year old even asked to eat it again for dinner tonight. Winner!
Woah! That was FAST Ginger!! Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you and the kids enjoyed it!! N x
These looks like a hearty meal my family would love.
“Hearty” is right!! (And you’re also right that your family will LOVE IT!! 😉 )
How can anyone laugh at those cute adorable hands 🙂 … YUMMMMOOOO! This pasta dish looks amazing.
BA HA HA!!! Cute?? Noooo…. Definitely not!!!!
As always, beautiful pictures. Love that serving spoon!
I never thought to make my own pork seasoning. I hate squeezing the meat out of the casings. Gross..lol
I know, right??? I hate how greasy my hands get!
Hi Nagi,
Thank you for another great recipe. Finally a recipe for Italian sausage without the need to buy one. I love, love, love your blog. The recipes are so detailed and very easy to follow. Your photos are amazing. Especially, this one with your goldie (assuming he/she is a golden retriever) sitting very majestic in front of a so yummy looking ziti full of cheese. Btw. I’m also a cheese lover and your recipe for the shortbread cheese cookies is soo good. Thanks so much for sharing and looking forward to the next posting.
Hi Julia, thanks so much for your lovely message! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes 🙂 And seeing photos of Dozer!!! – Nagi, fellow CHEESE LOVERRRRR
This is such a lovely dish; perfect for the season.
Thank you so much Dhanya! 🙂
Hello Nagi, Wellcome to the club, am Getting redy for coleder months, pantry is ready am on to soooupsss. Wardrobes and linen is Done now on to garden. Was Lucky Neighbour brought me last Of home grown beans. Have nice day and Thanks for ideas.
Hi Vera! It sounds like where on a similar wavelength, I am absolutely on a soup-roll at the moment with this cooler weather coming in! Lucky you with homegrown beans. Anything homegrown just tastes so real!!!
Omg puppy!!!! 🙂 He’s so cute! Love the idea of making your own italian sausage pork filling. looks just great 🙂
He is CHEEKY!!! (And cute 🙂 )
Thanks for giving us a recipe for homemade sausage, and adding in the notes that all beef is OK, Nagi, for those of us who don’t use pork. Ground turkey might work, too. This looks like a recipe I’d want to make and freeze for quick dinners. I’m working down my freezer and fridge to make room for my Passover dishes–chicken soup, brisket, cakes) so will have to wait until after the holiday to try it (no pasta for eight days).
It really is absolutely perfect for freezing Marlene! 🙂 Ooooh, Passover! Will you be doing a special on your blog?? 🙂 N x
I’m working on it…still finishing up my travels. Clearly I haven’t been making the blog a priority. ? I need to get back in the groove. I have photos waiting for write ups. Soon! I also want to blog about a wine dinner I attended Sunday.
Don’t push yourself Marlene!! 🙂
Nom nom nom! Wow, that looks good!! I love baked pasta dishes but have never used sausage for some reason.
It’s spring here but the temp jumped to 83F (28C) so it feels like a heat wave and I’ve got the fans going. I will save this ziti dish for sure to make on a cooler day!
Heat wave at 83F?? NO WAY!!! Heatwaves here are 104F – seriously! 🙂
Oh, we get temps over 100F quite a bit in the summer now (thanks, climate change!). Believe me, nobody moves to Wash, DC for the summer weather!! 100F days and 90+% humidity, bleah!!
But I wasn’t clear – to have it suddenly in the 80s this week when we’ve only had cool spring days and nights, it felt like a heatwave!
You had me at the photo of strings of cheese. I’ve been making my own breakfast sausage patties with fennel, chili flakes and fresh sage for years. I never thought to use it in recipes…duh me. 🙂
I laughed at your sausage squeezing story. Here’s a tip…hold the sausage lengthwise in the palm of your hand. Take a paring knife and slit the casing lengthwise. The casing peels right off.
Olivia (my Chihuahua) has a huge crush on Dozer.
Susan!!! It’s like you were peeking through my kitchen window as I was making my Copycat Sausage and Egg McMuffins yesterday….and YES it has sage in it! I swear it’s the secret ingredient 🙂
And re: removing meat from the casings….DUH. How did I never think of that!!! So much easier than squeezing it out from one end. I need to put you on my Kitchen Hotline speed dial! 😉 PS Dozer loves Chihuahuas. He has a big soft spot for teeny tiny dogs, especially the teasers that dart in and out around his feet!
How do you make such a simple dish look so amazing? As an aside, you can never provide too many pics of Dozer.
Awww, thanks Peter!!! Though personally, I think pasta is so beautiful to shoot, so many ridges and so much texture. I love!!! 🙂
Hi Nagi!I have been wanting to say “hey”for awhile and am such a manic foodie with my almost 400 blog subs and Pinteresting since December like a spaz.So,am a HUGE fan of your recipes and blog!Only #2 to Jen over at Carlsbad Cravings.I love spice and so does my gang here in the Arizona desert.You are a doll,so talented.Opening us up to many ethnicities.Who knew how yummy Vietnamese food can be.The hubs said what,you are making dog?!Lame!So thanks.Today’s recipe cracked me up So right about the sausage.Can buy italian sausage here out of the casings,extra hot even.Have made my own,when had a hankering for italian and too lazy to head to store,or was living in Wisconsin buried in 100 feet of snow!!love ya!Will send some heat your way!In the 90’s already here!!
Hi Teri! Thank you so much for coming “out” and saying “HEY”!!! I’m so glad you hear from you and re: Jen? I bet I’m a BIGGER FAN THAN YOU!!!! And PS – no rubbing it in about how warm it is over there! *JEALOUS*!!! 🙂 N x
You have a recipe for Italian sausage pie. Is it possible to use this mixture here instead of store bought sausage?
Do you mean the Italian Sausage quiche? I don’t have a sausage pie…I don’t think!!! And YES! Any recipe where the sausage is removed from casings (i.e. 99% of my recipes) you can use this mixture 🙂
Nagi…this is soo fab! What a brilliant idea! And while the food photos are brilliant as always… the one of Dozer staring off into the distance is just perfection…So regal 🙂 “Deep thoughts by Dozer”
He doesn’t have deep thoughts. His thoughts don’t go any further than: beach > food > sleep > bird chasing (then cycle again)