This Baked Ziti with Ricotta is the cozy, cheesy pasta bake my family asks for on repeat. Tender cooked ziti gets layered with Italian sausage, marinara, creamy ricotta, and plenty of melty mozzarella, then baked until bubbling and golden.
This comforting meal comes together in under an hour from start to finish and the leftovers are even better the next day. It is also a fantastic freezer meal that you can bring to a friend in need and they can bake it directly from frozen.
I like to serve this cozy pasta with a simple green salad and a thick slice of my overnight bread recipe.
Comfort Food
Freezer Friendly
Quick Look: Baked Ziti with Ricotta
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🍝 Servings: 8 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 576 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Bake in oven at 350F
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Italian pork sausage, pasta sauce, ziti pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Very easy! Great to prep and freeze for later.
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Julie left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Delicious and so easy! This will for sure be a staple in my house.”
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.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 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
For another baked pasta recipe, try this high protein baked manicotti next.
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 Baked Ziti with Ricotta
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F and grease a little 9×13 casserole. Cut the casing off the Italian sausage, brown and crumble in a skillet over medium heat.
Step 2: Boil the ziti pasta in heavily salted water according to package instructions and drain. Pour crumbled sausage, marinara sauce, italian seasoning, and ricotta into a casserole dish.
Step 3: Stir the sausage, sauce and ricotta cheese together until evenly combined. Pour cooked pasta into the pan and stir it into the creamy sauce.
Step 4: Top the casserole with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and finish baking. Allow to cool for a few minutes, garnish with basil and serve.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Baked Ziti Recipe 🍝
- Undercook the ziti by 2 minutes when boiling. The pasta keeps cooking in the oven so fully cooked pasta tends to turn mushy in the baked casserole.
- Beat an egg into the ricotta. The egg binds the ricotta cheese and sauce layer so you get clean, creamy scoops of baked pasta.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg. Just 1/8 teaspoon in the ricotta deepens the flavor without tasting like anything specific. This is the secret trick that makes people ask for the recipe.
- Rest before serving. Allow the pasta bake to sit for 10 to 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. That way the cheese sets and you get clean, uniform scoops instead of cheese that is sliding all over the place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make baked ziti ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the entire dish, cover tightly with foil, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to bake, let it sit on the counter for 20–30 minutes, then bake as directed, adding 10–15 minutes to the covered bake time.
Can I freeze baked ziti?
Absolutely. Assemble in a freezer-safe dish (don’t bake it first), wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 1 hour 30 minutes, then uncover for another 25–30 minutes until bubbling.
What kind of ricotta is best?
Whole milk ricotta. It’s richer, creamier, and won’t release as much water as part skim. If your ricotta looks watery in the container, drain it in a fine mesh strainer for 10 minutes before mixing.
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 Comforting Pasta Recipes
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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