Description
This Cheesy Baked Ziti is a comforting pasta bake layered with ziti noodles, rich marinara, creamy ricotta, and gooey mozzarella. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or feeding a hungry crowd. Baked ziti recipe, easy pasta bake, family comfort food.
Ingredients
1 pound ziti pasta
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups marinara sauce
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti until al dente, drain, and set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until smooth.
4. Spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of the baking dish.
5. Layer half of the pasta, then half the ricotta mixture, a layer of marinara, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
6. Repeat with remaining pasta, ricotta, sauce, and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
9. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
This dish freezes beautifully, so double the recipe and save one for later.
Use penne or rigatoni if you don’t have ziti.
For added protein, stir in cooked ground beef or sausage before baking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of casserole
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 39g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 21g
- Cholesterol: 70mg