Cheesy Baked Ziti Delight (Printable version)

A comforting pasta bake with creamy cheeses and rich marinara, perfect for easy family dinners.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound ziti or penne pasta

→ Cheeses

02 - 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
03 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
04 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Sauce

05 - 4 cups marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)

→ Other

06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot and cook ziti until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil or Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
04 - Add cooked pasta to the cheese mixture and toss gently to coat all pieces evenly.
05 - Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Evenly layer half of the pasta mixture over the sauce.
06 - Pour 1 ½ cups marinara sauce over the pasta layer and sprinkle with half of the remaining mozzarella cheese.
07 - Add remaining pasta mixture, then top with the rest of marinara sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese.
08 - Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
09 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, leaving you time to set a nice table instead of being glued to the stove.
  • The ricotta and mozzarella create this creamy-crispy contrast that tastes way more impressive than the effort suggests.
  • It feeds a crowd without any fuss, and you can make it hours ahead and pop it in the oven when guests arrive.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rest time; I learned this the hard way when I cut into it immediately and ended up with a molten mess on everyone's plates.
  • The foil matters—without it, your top burns before the inside is hot; with it too long, you won't get that golden crust.
  • Your pasta should be slightly underdone when you drain it, because the 35 minutes of baking finishes the cooking.
03 -
  • Make this the morning of, assemble it, cover it, and refrigerate—then pop it straight from cold into the oven, just add 10 minutes to the covered baking time.
  • If you only have cottage cheese, press it gently through a fine sieve first so it's smoother and less lumpy.
  • A splash of reserved pasta water stirred into your sauce right before layering helps it distribute more evenly without making everything watery.
Go back