Cheesy Baked Ziti Dish (Print version)

Hearty baked ziti layered with creamy ricotta, marinara, and melted mozzarella cheese.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound ziti or penne pasta

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
03 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
04 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Sauce

05 - 4 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)

→ Other

06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How to Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, mix ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil or Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper until well blended.
04 - Add cooked pasta to cheese mixture and toss until evenly coated.
05 - Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared dish. Layer half the pasta mixture over sauce.
06 - Pour 1 ½ cups marinara sauce over pasta layer. Top with half of the remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Add the remaining pasta mixture, then cover with the remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
09 - Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra basil if desired.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead without stress.
  • The three-cheese combination creates a creamy center and golden crust that somehow satisfies every craving at once.
  • You can feed a crowd with minimal effort, which means more time actually enjoying the meal.
02 -
  • Don't overcook your pasta in step one—it keeps cooking in the oven, and mushy ziti is nobody's favorite.
  • The foil tent matters more than you'd think; without it, your cheese browns before the inside heats through.
  • Letting it rest at the end isn't optional if you want to serve it prettily—those 10 minutes actually make a visible difference.
03 -
  • Fresh basil scattered on top after baking looks and tastes infinitely better than basil baked into the layers.
  • If your mozzarella isn't shredding cleanly, pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes first and it becomes easier to work with.
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