Easy Baked Ziti
This Easy Baked Ziti pasta with its rich tomato-meat sauce and gooey cheese will make you feel like an expert in the kitchen. It’s super comforting American-Italian food that everyone will love! It’s easy to make and is even better the second day!
Do you struggle with getting something interesting and tasty on the table night after night? Well, believe it or not, even food bloggers do.
When I need a recipe for a family dinner or something to take to a potluck, this is one of my most dependable fall-backs. The ingredients are simple and usually in the pantry and freezer. The prep is easy – about 10 minutes – and almost everyone loves Baked Ziti.
This recipe easily doubles or triples, keeps well in the refrigerator, and you can make it in advance. What more could you want?
About the Ingredients
- Ziti pasta (If you don’t have ziti, any tube-shaped pasta works great. Penne is a good choice and even elbow macaroni will work in a pinch.)
- Marinara sauce (Use a quality bottled sauce or make your own.)
- Mozzarella cheese (I highly recommend you try freshly grated mozzarella at least once. But if you don’t have the time, just grab a bag of the pre-shredded stuff.)
- Parmesan (Of course, Parmigiano Reggiano is the gold standard but it’s expensive. Use what fits your budget.)
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Easy Baked Ziti
STEP 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
STEP 2. Place a large pot of well salted water on to boil. Cook the ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
STEP 3. While the ziti cooks, make the meat sauce. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, onion, and bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is cooked and the onion is translucent.
STEP 4. Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook until no pink color remains in the ground beef.
TIP: (Optional) At this point, drain the excess fat from the pan if you like. Return the beef mixture to the pan and continue with the recipe.
STEP 5. Add the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, celery seed, salt, and ground black pepper stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
STEP 6. Remove the meat sauce from the heat and add the drained pasta and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Stir together until evenly combined.
STEP 7. Pour the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish or pan. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the grated Parmesan. Cover loosely with foil.
STEP 8. Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of baking.
STEP 9. Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Suggestion
Serve Baked Ziti with freshly baked Cheesy Onion and Herb Bread and a tossed salad with a nice vinaigrette.
Storage
Store any leftovers in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freezing: Baked ziti can be frozen either before or after baking. Make sure to wrap the dish well with plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. To bake the frozen, unbaked ziti, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the plastic wrap and bake at 350F for about 35-40 minutes. Follow the same instructions to reheat frozen, baked ziti.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add buttered bread crumbs to the top during the last 5 minutes of cooking if desired.
- Substitute ground turkey for the ground beef.
- Substitute half the beef with mild or hot Italian sausage.
- Instead of mozzarella, you could use white or yellow Cheddar, Swiss, or Gruyere.
- Use a jar of spaghetti sauce instead of marinara.
FAQs
Of course! You can substitute all sausage, half sausage, or all ground turkey in your Baked Ziti if you like.
Bake the dish covered until the last 5 minutes of cooking time. You can remove the foil at that point to allow the cheese on top to bubble and brown.
Have you tried this recipe? I’d really appreciate you giving it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card or in the comments section.
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Recipe
Easy Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti (or other tube-shaped pasta such as penne)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 4 ounces diced raw bacon (about 1/2 cup or 4 slices)
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with their juice
- 12 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella cheese (about 3 cups), divided use
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a large pot of well-salted water on to boil. Cook the ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the ziti cooks, make the meat sauce. In a large skillet, add the olive oil, onion, and bacon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is cooked and the onion is translucent.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook until no pink color remains in the ground beef.
- Add the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, garlic powder, celery seed, salt, and ground black pepper stirring well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the meat sauce from the heat and add the drained pasta and 2 cups of the mozzarella cheese. Stir together until evenly combined.
- Pour the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish or pan. Top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the grated Parmesan.
- Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the dish from the oven and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Optional step: after cooking the ground beef, you can drain the excess fat from the pan if you like. Return the beef mixture to the pan and continue with the recipe.
- You can substitute all sausage, half sausage, or all ground turkey if you like.
- To make the recipe extra cheesy, add an additional cup of mozzarella in the ground beef mixture.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Do you use the 16 oz cans or the large cans of tomatoes?
The regular size cans. They’re usually 14.5 oz these days.
Thanks for the quick response! Planning to cook soon. I enjoy your blog.
You’re welcome, Kathryn. Glad I could help.
Nothing like a good Ziti! Looks fantastic, Lana!
Sounds like a great improvisation to me!
Perfect comfort food!
A god pasta bake is what I need right about now. Yum!!!! I’m actually having mac and cheese for dinner tonight. :)
Love the Gruyere cheese in this! I use a smoked Gruyere in a frittata that is one of my favorite dishes.
Ohhh….that frittata looks wonderful! And I bet a smoked cheese in this ziti would be great, too.
Simply scrumptious looking, gorgeous picture. I am going to bookmark this. I have been looking for some great pasta recipes to add to my collection.
Lovely blog.
*kisses* HH
Thank you! I’m still working on improving my photography. Have a lot to learn but I’ll get there eventually.
I’m glad to decidede to hit the pots and pans. This is a delicious looking bake. It’s nice for a make ahead meal too. Very YUM!!
Thank you Deeba. This was easy to make and the gruyere gives it a different taste from the typical mozzarella/parm combination.
I’m so with you on the distractions these longer, warmer days offer. I walked the beaches two days ago, went salt water wade fishing yesterday in front of my house (yes, caught two), and spent all day digging my vegetable garden today. And now I’m eating an OK, but not great, grilled cream cheese and garden chives sandwich for dinner. Not nearly as good as your delicious-looking ziti, which I hope to try. Many thanks for sharing.
Distractions, yes. But so welcome, aren’t they?
pasta, tomatoes, cheese….in my book those are magic words! Looks delicious!
Definitely a great classic combo…pasta, tomatoes and cheese. You’d probably prefer a low-fat option, and I think this would adapt easily to low-fat cheeses.
Sounds great with Gruyere and Cheddar!
The Gruyere gives a very distinctive taste, so be sure you really like it if you use it in this recipe. Otherwise, you could do all cheddar.