Baked Ziti Recipe

Name: Baked Ziti Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey; 1/2 lb Italian sausage; 1/2 cup finely chopped onions; 1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers; salt to taste (I used seasoned salt); 1/8 tsp black pepper; 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic; 28 oz crushed tomatoes; 10 oz tomato sauce; 2 tbsp chicken stock; 1 tbsp red wine; 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning (can make it homemade); 1 tbsp granulated sugar; pinch of red pepper flakes (if desired); 8 oz zit pasta (cooked al dente and drained); 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (up to 2 cups); parsley for garnish

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My Baked Ziti recipe is straight up fire y’all! Now you know I make sure those flavors pop like they should. I pack a baking dish with savory sausage and ground beef, a to-die-for savory tomato sauce plus a gooey blanket of melty cheese. Pull this baked ziti out for company or a delish Italian inspired Sunday supper. Either way, you will stay winning whenever you serve it up!

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Easy baked ziti on a white plate sprinkled with parsley on white background with large dish of ziti and shredded cheese in background

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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:

“Loved the Ziti! Husband and I stuffed ourselves and still only ate a little more than a quarter of it. Favorite part is there was plenty of sauce with the pasta. I’m used to mine always coming out dry. Thank you so much!”

—STAR

Y’all I just had to share one of my fave pasta recipes with ya: Baked Ziti! When I need a cozy, comforting dish, I gotta serve this up. It’s just so dang on reliable and easy to pull together. In fact, you can make it in advance for additional ease.

Overflowing with hearty sausage, ground beef, rich tomato sauce, and creamy mozzarella cheese, this is legit the best baked ziti recipe and it is on point. With minimal effort and just under an hour of time, both you and I can have an outrageously tasty, meat and cheese lover’s pasta bake!

Table of Contents

The Lowdown of This Baked Ziti

Closeup of Jocelyn in pink dress smiling

Cuisine Inspiration: Italian-American inspiration

Primary Cooking Method: Baking

Dietary Info: This ain’t for my Veggie boos. Can be made gluten-free with a substitution

Key Flavor: High Cheesy Meaty Tomato Comfort Vibes

Skill Level: Easy (No Sweat Fam!)

You Can Make Ahead

Prep it in advance and pop in the oven when you’re ready. We keep that stress down!

Freezer Friendly For Reals

Made too much? Is that even a thing? Just freeze any leftovers for later boos!

Pure Comforting Crowd-Pleaser

This isn’t just food; it’s a whole mood. Perfect for when you need legit comfort food. And when you have a house full of hungry folks, you can serve this hit right on up!

Ingredients you’ll need to make this Baked Ziti Recipe

Sausage, turkey meat, cheese, pasta, sauce and veggies in bowls on a white background

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO sautés everything up until tender with rich flavor.
Ground Beef and Italian Sausage: This savory meat combo is giving hearty delish savory vibes and textures.
Onion, Garlic, and Green Bell Pepper: These 3 aromatics work together to create an untouchable depth of flavor.
Tomato Base: Crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce add the rich saucy foundation for the dish ya dig?
Liquids: Red wine punches up acidity, which brings out our flavor building. The alcohol burns off during cooking, so this dish is safe for the whole family! Our chicken stock also adds moisture and extra savory notes.
Italian Seasoning- If you don’t already have a blend at the crib, use this Italian seasoning recipe. As always, just be sure to taste as you go.
Granulated Sugar- This helps to cut through the acidity of the tomatoes and create a more balanced sauce.
Red Pepper Flakes- Heat helps to heighten flavor!
Ziti- Cooked and drained, this is ready to soak up all that sauce.
Mozzarella- The telltale sign of a delicious baked ziti is that bubbly, slightly-crisp, ooey-gooey layer of cheese on top. Go all in boos!

How to make Baked Ziti

Sausage, ground turkey, onion, green pepper, onion and salt and pepper in a pot with olive oil on white background

Add ground turkey, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper and salt and pepper to a large sized pot with olive oil over medium high heat.

Browned meat in a large pot with garlic added as well on white background.

Brown until cooked up. Then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Crushed tomatoes and sauce ingredients being added to a large pot on white background

Toss in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, red wine, Italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened (about 15-20 minutes) then remove from heat.

Cooked ziti pasta added to a tomato sauce in a white pot on white background

Stir cooked pasta into the sauce.

Baked ziti filling added to a white baking dish on a white background before baking

Add pasta and sauce to a greased baking dish.

Shredded mozzarella cheese added on top of baked ziti before baking on white background

Top with cheese.

A golden browned baked ziti with sausage out of the oven on white background

Bake until the cheese is melty and browned (about 10-20 minutes). You can also broil the top if you want.

What to serve with baked ziti with sausage

Easy Weeknight: This is fantastic served up simple with steamed vegetables and garlic bread. Ain’t no thang!
Cozy Fall Meal: Start with this lovely harvest fall salad, then add a side of a balsamic glazed brussels sprouts or braised cabbage and don’t forget the delish pumpkin cornbread.
Italian Buffet for Entertaining: Serve this easy baked ziti with a vegetarian pasta like cheese manicotti with spinach, along with chicken piccata or chicken francese and a couple of pizzas like pepperoni pizza and meat lovers pizza. Your guests will flip out on how good everything is!

Creole shrimp on a bed of lettuce with caesar dressing

Start your meal with a fun twist on the classic Caesar Salad.

This baked ziti is, of course, the star of the show.

Garlic Cheese Breadsticks on a white plate with pizza sauce in a bowl

These cheesy garlic breadsticks are better than any pizza place out there!

Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu slice on a white plate surrounded by strawberries and lady fingers in background

This strawberry tiramisu is the perfect remix on the classic and best way to end this Italian inspired meal.

Recipe Substitutions

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: If you’ve run out, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or even grapeseed oil will work.
Italian Sausage: You can use turkey sausage, chicken sausage or even a spicy chorizo to give a totally different vibe.
Ground Beef: Replace with ground chicken or ground pork if you want.
Chicken Stock: Sub in chicken broth, beef broth or even vegetable broth.
Wine: You can use white wine instead or replace with more chicken stock if you want to leave the wine out all together.
Pasta: Swap out the ziti with another pasta like rigatoni or penne.
Cheese: A blend of Italian cheeses, provolone or fontina are good to go boos.

Recipe Variations and Additions

Go Meatless: Swap out the meat with chickpeas, lentils or even mushrooms to keep that meaty texture. Add more veggies like spinach, zucchini and even roasted eggplant.
Gluten Free: Replace the ziti with your fave gluten-free pasta brand.
Baked Ziti with Ricotta: Add dollops of ricotta cheese to the pasta before you cover with shredded cheese and bake.
Spice it Up: Add a bit more cayenne to the sauce to get a good kick.

The Best Baked ziti recipe with a spoon lifting some out of baking dish

Expert Tips and Tricks for making the best easy baked ziti

Don’t Overcook Your Pasta: It’s best to cook your pasta until al dente so it stands up to the bake and doesn’t become mushy.
Mix it Up: Make sure you mix up the sauce with the pasta so each piece of pasta gets that delish coating and moisture.
Cover and Bake: Start with foil over your ziti so you keep it moist and it doesn’t dry out. Once that cheese has melted, take off the foil and let the top brown up and bubble.
Broil for More Color: Give that cheese some gorgeous brown color boos. Broil just for a few seconds, and watch carefully until it reaches the color you want.
Chill Out: Let it rest at least 10 minutes after you remove from the oven. You gotta let all those flavors set up and get some structure. It will serve up much easier too.

How to store & reheat

Let your ziti cool down to room temp, then either transfer to an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap.

You can reheat in the oven by covering with foil and baking at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until warmed through. The microwave is also fine too boos. Cover and cook for 1 ½ minutes then check to see if it is warm. If it ain’t warm yet, continue to heat in 15-second increments but don’t overdo it or the pasta will dry out.

How long will this baked ziti recipe last in the fridge?

It will last about 3-5 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze?

Yep boos, it can stay frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and pop in a 350 degrees F oven for 1 hour.

Spoon digging into baked ziti in a white baking dish

Frequently asked questions

Can I make this baked ziti recipe ahead?

You sure can boos. Just assemble the whole thing and store in the fridge for up to a day. You can set it out for about 30 minutes to let it get back to room temp then add to your oven and bake off.

How do I make sure my baked ziti doesn’t dry out?

I like to cover my ziti with foil while baking until the very end. That keeps the pasta nice and moist and delish boos.

Can I use store-bought sauce in this baked ziti with sausage?

If ya gotta make this even more fuss free, you can replace the homemade sauce with your fave store-bought sauce. I would still add some sautéed onions, garlic, herbs, or a splash of red wine to give it those homemade vibes.

A spoon scooping ziti on white background

This easy baked ziti is definitely necessary to pull out when you need to feed a bunch of folks or your soul craves pure comfort. It delivers on flavor, ease and deliciousness boos. Get at it!