This baked ziti recipe is the easiest way to feed a crowd! Saucy, cheesy, comforting, and flavorful, this fuss-free pasta is always a hit.
This baked ziti recipe features layers of saucy pasta, creamy ricotta, and melty mozzarella cheese. Easy to assemble and always a hit, it’s one of my go-to recipes for feeding a crowd.
I based this recipe on the baked ziti I ate as a kid. 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, but this baked ziti recipe is still hearty, satisfying, and packed with flavor. Try it on a weeknight, or make it the next time you’re having company over for dinner. You (and your guests) will love it!
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 – I love my homemade marinara sauce here, but store-bought pasta sauce is also fair game! I recommend Rao’s.
- Ricotta cheese – It creates a creamy layer in the center of the baked ziti. Whole milk ricotta cheese will have the best creamy texture.
- 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.
- Grated mozzarella and pecorino cheese – They create the melty topping. Feel free to substitute Parmesan cheese if you don’t keep pecorino on hand.
- 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, red pepper flakes, 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 the pasta 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 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 grated cheese 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 a 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 recipe.
Can you freeze baked ziti?
Yes! This baked ziti recipe freezes well.
- Assemble it up to the point of baking, cover the pan 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, about 30 minutes. 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 marinara sauce, (32 ounces)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese, (16 ounces)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 pound fresh spinach
- 1½ cups grated 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 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 several grinds of 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.
absolutely horrible. way too much sauce. this recipe should have only had 3 cups of marinara sauce. does not look like photo at all, and i did everything the same exact way as listed.
Always love your recipes and this one does not disappoint. Plan to serve it tomorrow when family visits. This time I don’t have time to do so before they arrive. The recipe states you can make it a day in advance up to the baking point refrigerate and then leave on the counter for 30 minutes before baking. We turn the clocks back an hour overnight and I likely will be making it at around 4 o’clock this afternoon and probably not baking it until five or six pm tomorrow. In other words it will be more than 24 hours. Is that OK?
Good recipe but next time we will leave out the lemon zest. We didn’t like that in this recipe.
This was the yummiest baked ziti recipe I’ve made! It’s easy to make and the additions of the lemon and red pepper made it! I made it as-is but can tell it would be good with veggies and-or meat added as well.
Sure it’s great but tried freezing and reheating per the instructions – it was still pretty frozen solid after 30 mins so plan accordingly! Had to pivot and make Mac and cheese for the kiddos haha!
Hi Molly, so sorry about that mixup! Did you let the ziti thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating?
Loved this. I truly don’t understand the comments about the lemon flavor being “too much…”
I used arabiata sauce to give it a little more kick, and it was perfect if you like more flavor. I also broke up a few small fresh mozz balls and added to the top. 🙂 Will definitely make this again and try it with other veggies as well.
So glad you loved it, Donna!
Can this dish be frozen after it’s already baked? And then after defrosting, can it be baked again (twice baked ziti)?
Hi Chelsea, it can – it’s not the best that way, but I would do that if I was just eating it myself :). I do this when I have just a slice or two left.
Can it be frozen before baking?
I love this dish! So tasty just too much for just the two of us this time around
The best baked ziti I have made!
I made mine with ground beef and sweet Italian turkey sausage and it was just yum. Love the ricotta mixture and the addition of veggies
LOVE LOVE this recipe. And I really liked the interesting touch of lemon zest but I’m a lemon freak. Made it with my homemade Italian sausage and garlic gravy/sauce. Was an amazing combo and will def make it again and again. Especially in the winter. Thank you for sharing!
Enjoyed this dish but I did not like the lemon zest in the ricotta mixture. I seemed a little out of place and it took me a while to figure out what I was tasting as I was eating it. Will definitely make again, omitting the zest. Added italian sausage too.
One of my favorite baked ziti recipes; super easy to make and very flavorful. Thanks L&L!
I’m so glad it’s been such a hit!
My daughter found this recipe and we were so excited to try it. It was AWFUL. The lemon was so overpowering, we couldn’t eat it at all. Such a waste and disappointment. Also, the recipe calls for 4 cups of sauce but links to a recipe for only 3 cups…. I simply do not understand the positive ratings for this. : (
did you use lemon peel instead of lemon zest
i found this recipe horrible aswell. way too much sauce
Love this recipe ! Have made it twice
This dish is outstanding! Don’t skip the lemon. It really makes this ziti sing. I also highly recommend using ricotta con latte. It definitely makes difference. We’ve made this twice in the last two weeks. It’s that good. Once, we made it using Juvail gluten free pasta as a guest has celiac and it was still delicious. We also added mushrooms because we had them and needed to use them. So good. It’s now our go to ziti recipe. Thank you so much for this delightful recipe!
Hi Allison, I’m so glad you loved it!
Hello! Do you have any recommendations for substitutions for the spinach? My almost 3YO still isn’t down with leafy greens (especially when wilted). Thank you!
Hi Marissa, totally! Sautéed or roasted mushrooms, little steamed broccoli florets, roasted peppers, roasted zucchini, and roasted eggplant would all work here. Or you could just leave the veggie out if that works best for your kiddo.
Simple, easy and delicious
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Amazing! Big hit with the family. I added Italian sausage to the sauce. I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you!
Thank you for this very good recipe!
I used slightly smaller pasta and gouda instead of smoked mozzarella. Still it was great!
Hi Danica, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
We really enjoyed this recipe, the lemon in the ricotta really brightens up what can usually be quite a heavy dish. We added a 1/2 lb. of ground beef seasoned with Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder and added it when layering the cheeses. It was delicious.
This was so delicious. I added browned spicy Italian sausage to the sauce and then cut up precooked Italian meatballs too. The whole milk ricotta and extra lemon zest made this beyond excellent! Love all her recipes!
I’m so glad you loved it!