Feeding a crowd? This baked ziti recipe is the easiest way to do it! Saucy, cheesy, comforting, and flavorful, this fuss-free pasta is always a hit.
Have you tried this baked ziti recipe?! It’s a fan favorite on the blog, and it’s one of our family favorites as well. If you have yet to make it, I hope you will soon.
This easy baked ziti is a perfect no-fuss recipe for feeding a crowd, and the combo of marinara sauce, pasta, and three (yes, three!) types of cheese is so comforting.
This baked ziti recipe is my veggie spin on the version I grew up eating. Reliably present at every potluck or party I attended, it was my favorite comfort food. I loved the jumbles of noodles mixed with tangy tomato sauce, gooey cheese, and Italian sausage or ground beef. These days, I skip the meat in favor of creamy ricotta and lots of fresh spinach, but this baked ziti recipe is still hearty, satisfying, and packed with flavor.
I love it, and I think you will too!
How to Make Baked Ziti
Here’s what you’ll need to make this baked ziti recipe:
Ingredients
- Ziti, of course! Another tube-shaped pasta, such as penne or rigatoni, would work nicely too.
- Marinara sauce – If I have the time, I like to use my homemade marinara sauce here, which comes together with a quick 20-minute simmer on the stove. But store-bought sauce is fair game too! I recommend Rao’s.
- Ricotta cheese – It creates a creamy layer in the center of the baked ziti. For the best texture, make sure to use whole milk ricotta in this recipe.
- Garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes – I use these ingredients to season the ricotta. The garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes add classic Italian flavor, and the lemon zest brings a delicious, unexpected brightness.
- Fresh spinach – An entire pound wilts down into this comforting pasta.
- Smoked mozzarella and pecorino cheeses – For topping. The smoked mozzarella gives the pasta a kick of rich, smoky flavor, which I love, but if you can’t find it, no worries! Sub in regular shredded mozzarella. And in a pinch, salty, nutty Parmesan cheese is a great sub for the pecorino.
- Torn fresh basil and chopped parsley – I sprinkle them over the final dish for a fresh, vibrant finishing touch.
- And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Method
This baked ziti recipe is easy to make! Here’s how it goes:
First, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. Be careful not to overcook it! It will soften more while it bakes.
While the pasta cooks, make the ricotta cheese mixture. Stir together the ricotta, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
Next, sauté the spinach. Drain the pasta, and heat a glug of olive oil in the same pot. Sauté the spinach until it’s just wilted. Tip: Work in batches here! I do 1/2 pound at a time so that the spinach cooks evenly.
Gently squeeze some of the excess moisture out of the sautéed spinach and roughly chop it.
Then, mix everything together. Return most of the spinach and all of the ziti noodles to the pot, along with all but 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Stir until everything is well combined.
Finally, layer it up. Spread the remaining sauce on the bottom of a large casserole dish, and spread half of the pasta mixture over it. Dollop in the ricotta and the reserved spinach, and scoop the rest of the pasta on top. Top with the shredded mozzarella and pecorino cheeses, and drizzle with olive oil.
Bake the pasta at 425°F until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes. Enjoy!
How to Store and Reheat Baked Ziti
Leftover baked ziti keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or a 325°F oven.
You can also make this recipe ahead. Assemble the baked ziti a few hours, or up to day, in advance. Cover it, and store it in the fridge. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking according to the instructions in the recipe below.
Can you freeze baked ziti?
Yes! This baked ziti recipe freezes well.
- Assemble it up to the point of baking, cover it tightly with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight.
- To reheat, bake, covered, at 400°F until heated through, 30 minutes to an hour. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top is browned and bubbling.
What to Serve with Baked Ziti
This baked ziti recipe is a delicious main dish. Pair it with garlic bread, garlic knots, or homemade focaccia for sopping up any stray marinara sauce. Round out the meal with a big salad. Any of these would be fantastic:
- Caesar Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Simple Green Salad
- Arugula Salad
- Pear Salad with Balsamic and Walnuts
Not feeling the salad? Skip it, or opt for a simple veggie side dish instead. Roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, and sautéed green beans would all be great choices.
More Favorite Comfort Food Recipes
If you love this easy baked ziti recipe, try one of these comforting dishes next:
Easy Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 4 cups (32 ounces) marinara sauce
- 2 cups (16 ounces) ricotta cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, more for the pasta water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1½ cups grated smoked mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley and/or torn basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spread ½ cup marinara in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.
- Return the pot back to the stove. Over low heat, drizzle the bottom of the pot with a little olive oil and add the spinach. Toss and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted, working in batches if necessary. Turn off the heat, remove the spinach from the pot, and gently squeeze out some of the excess water. Coarsely chop it and set aside.
- Add the pasta back to the pot along with the remaining marinara, most of the chopped spinach, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and more fresh pepper and toss until combined.
- Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top. Top with the mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16 to 22 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve hot.
My family loved this dish–the lemon ricotta is genius. This is going into our regular rotation. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Loved this recipe! Thank you!
This dish was easy to put together and a great freezer meal! I used brown rice pasta from Trader Joe’s since I had it on hand and it worked really well for a gluten free option,. I will be making this again soon!
I had plans to make this recipe but my stove stopped working. So I ordered electric burners and an oven and made it with it those. It turned out well. Flavor was great.
I made this recipe (mostly as written: I added extra garlic), and it was delicious. It made a lot, but winter is definitely a time when I want abundant leftovers. I’m adding this to the list of meals to bring to families with new babies.
Additional note: I had to make a double batch of marinara sauce to have enough for this recipe, and I used the extra for homemade pan pizza. Would recommend doing that, too!
Oh, and I used regular mozzarella, because that’s what I had.
We made this for Christmas dinner. I splurged on a pound of local spinach, used a provolone, and some how ended up with enough pasta for three layers! Best is that the dish comes together rather quickly, making it a great choice at the end of a long day.
This was so delicious! I wasn’t able to find smoked mozzarella and it still turned out great.
Excellent choice for the December cooking club! This was a pretty quick recipe to take care of dinner on Christmas Eve Eve so I could focus on other things! ?? Really like the brightness of the lemon zest and the kick from the red pepper flakes. Definitely adding this recipe to the rotation!
The lemon zest and smoked mozzarella gave this recipe a really cool twist. Looking forward to the leftovers!
This was so delicious! I had to go to three different stores to find the smoked mozzarella but it was definitely worth it. That and the lemony ricotta really made the dish special. Even my spinach hating boyfriend loved it and wants me to make it again for Christmas.
This was delicious! I made it gluten free by using GF rice/quinoa blend pasta and it works a charm. The lemon in the ricotta filling brightens up the whole dish! My grocery didn’t have smoked mozzarella this time but I hope to find it next time because I bet that would put it over the top! We’ll definitely be adding this easy and tasty dish to the rotation.
Oops forgot to put my full name for the club, so here it is! Sorry!
This recipe was delicious! Loved the addition the lemon zest. Plus it made so much I got to share with a neighbor. Store was out of ziti so I substituted rigatoni and added impossible ground meat. Absolutely going to make this again.
Loved this recipe! The lemony ricotta is especially nice!
In addition to the spinach, I added some roasted vegetables to the dish (squash, zucchini, onion, carrot) – a really nice touch of flavor and nutrients 🙂
Loved this recipe! The lemony ricotta is especially nice!
In addition to the spinach, I added some roasted vegetables to the dish (squash, zucchini, onion, carrot) – a really nice touch of flavor and nutrients 🙂
It was easy to make and tasty. I added mushrooms and only had a bag of spinach which was hardly any after it was cooked. I had vegan mozzarella shreds that needed to be used up. I’m curious how the smoked mozzeralla tasted. The whole family enjoyed it.
I made this last night and it was pretty good. My husband cooked meatballs separately and added them to his plate. He wasn’t a big fan of the lemon in the ricotta so I’ll leave that out next time. It came together quickly though! It also seems easy to make, take somewhere and bake like for a party or something,
This was so yummy & easy to put together! I made it for December cooking challenge, and I will definitely be making it again
I loved making this for the December cooking club! The lemony ricotta was really good! I’ve never had baked ziti with that kind of flavor!
My family loved this. I added mushrooms because they were in the fridge. It was a good addition.
I made this last night for the December cooking club with the help of my 13 year old daughter. She mixed together the lemon ricotta mixture and had trouble keeping herself from eating it all out of the bowl while the noodles cooked. I had a bag of mixed kales, chard, and collards from the CSA that I used in place of the spinach. We loved it!
Oops, forgot to have my whole name for the cooking club. Sorry, here it is!