This Baked Ziti with Ricotta is my version of a classic recipe that you will want to keep in your rotation. Mix ziti pasta with a ricotta tomato sauce and browned sausage. Then, bake it all together with cheese until bubbling and delicious!
Make-ahead
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: Whether or not you can use pre-shredded cheese
Worth It: It’s a satisfying, protein-forward option that actually keeps you full
Bonus: No layering required
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make ahead meal – Baked pasta dishes like lasagna or baked ziti are a great option for a make ahead meal. I kept prep time quick with no layering or egg, so it’s easy to assemble and store it in the fridge. Then just put it in the oven when you are ready to enjoy!
- Great for a crowd – this hearty meal is ideal for feeding a big group. You can serve it with a simple salad and bread or as a part of a potluck or buffet.
- Freezer meal – I love making a double batch of this baked ziti with sausage and freezing the extra one for a later date. It is so nice to have this dish ready to go in the freezer when you don’t have a dinner plan.
- Perfect for a friend – This easy baked ziti recipe is a great option to bring to a neighbor or friend in need of a meal. Do all the prep and assemble it, then send it over to your friend wrapped in plastic wrap and foil with oven instructions for a delicious and easy meal.
Serving suggestions
This baked ziti is packed with protein from the sausage, so I love to serve it with a simple vegetable side. Make a quick bowl of salad with this green dream dressing or mason jar salad dressing.
Maple glazed carrots, green beans almondine or air fryer asparagus are great options for a quick vegetable. Broccoli cauliflower and bacon salad is a great when serving a larger group. I also love serving bread, like my overnight bread recipe, with this dish.
For another baked pasta recipe, try this high protein baked manicotti next.
Ingredients
- Ziti pasta – I use the smooth ziti noodles without ridges for this recipe. It creates a really delicate and tasty bite.
- Mild Italian sausage – Use your favorite sausage here, but just be aware of the seasonings on the sausage you use, because it will change the flavor. After you brown the sausage in your large skillet, you can take a bite to see if you want to add any spices.
- Marinara sauce – Any jarred spaghetti sauce will work in this recipe. If you only have tomato sauce, you could add some additional spices to dress it up like a marinara
- Ricotta cheese – The ricotta is the star of this baked ziti. It makes it so creamy and luscious.
- Italian seasoning blend – Use your favorite Italian seasoning to bring this dish together
- Kosher salt – A little bit of kosher salt makes brings out so much flavor in this baked ziti with ricotta
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – I use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe, but you can also shred your own
Ingredient Substitutions
You can use any tubular pasta like penne in place of the ziti, but it will create a slightly different texture because of the ridges on the pasta.
There are no vegetables in this dish, but you could certainly add some! Sauteed mushrooms would be an amazing addition. If you do add vegetables, increase your amount of sauce so nothing dries out. You could also add a few minced cloves garlic and onion to enhance the flavor even more.
In place of pork sausage, you could use ground beef, ground turkey or ground chicken. Adjust seasoning as needed if you do not use an Italian seasoned sausage.
For the ricotta cheese, you could substitute cottage cheese. Feel free to add some pepper to taste as well.
How to make
Step 1: Cook Pasta and Brown Sausage
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish or baking dish. Cut casing off of the sausage and cook and crumble in a large sauté pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes (Image 1). Allow sausage to cool slightly.
Boil ziti in a large pot of salted water – cook 2 minutes less than package cooking time instructions to keep the pasta al dente (Image 2). Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Assemble the Dish
Mix the marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning and salt in the casserole dish. Mix in the cooked sausage (Image 3) and then the cooked and drained ziti pasta (Image 4).
Step 3: Add cheese and bake
Mix with a wooden spoon until everything is evenly combined (Image 5). Top the mixture with the mozzarella cheese (Image 6).
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for just a couple minutes to brown the cheese. Sprinkle with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Storage, reheating, and Freezing
Allow the baked ziti with ricotta to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can reheat in the microwave or oven until warmed through.
To freeze, you can assemble this dish up through sprinkling mozzarella on top, then cover the ziti and store in the freezer. When you are ready to bake, take it out to allow it to thaw, then follow baking instructions and enjoy.
Check out these other Pasta dishes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Baked Ziti with Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti pasta
- 1 lb mild Italian pork sausage
- 25 oz jar marinara sauce
- 16 oz container ricotta cheese 2 cups
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Cook ziti in salted pasta water – cook 2 minutes less than package instructions.
- Cut casing off of the sausage and cook and crumble in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Allow sausage to cool slightly.
- Mix the marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning and salt in the casserole dish. Mix in the cooked sausage and then the cooked and drained ziti pasta. Mix until everything is evenly combined. Top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Uncover and broil for just a couple minutes to brown the cheese.
Recipe Notes
- Freezer Instructions: Do not bake after assembly. Allow the casserole to cool completely. Cover with 2 layers of tinfoil and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat After thawing: Bake covered at 350F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake a bit longer to brown the cheese.
- Reheat From frozen: Bake covered at 350F for 2 – 2 and a half hours.Uncover and bake a bit longer to brown the cheese
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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