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Baked Ziti with Ricotta is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and gooey melted cheese. There’s a rich, flavorful meat sauce with a creamy ricotta and pesto mixture coats the pasta, making it extra indulgent and absolutely irresistible!
For more baked pasta recipes, try my chicken alfredo lasagna and lasagna alla bolognese!
This baked ziti recipe is a show stopper. It’s cheesy and saucy with pops of pesto and creamy ricotta baked right in. It has a rich meat sauce made with ground beef, Italian sausage, wine, and fresh herbs, giving every bite tons of flavor. Then I toss the pasta in a ricotta and pesto mixture that makes it extra creamy.
The end result is layers on layers of saucy meat, herby ricotta pasta, and gooey mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan that bake into a golden, bubbly crust. It’s hearty enough to feed a crowd but still simple enough for a weeknight. The pesto adds a pop of freshness that keeps it from feeling too heavy, while the broiled cheese topping is that extra “wow” moment.
Plus, it reheats like a dream, so leftovers are basically guaranteed happiness for lunch the next day. Bottom line: this is the kind of pasta bake you’ll want to make again and again, whether it’s a holiday, a family dinner, or just a Tuesday night craving.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
- Easy weeknight dinner! It comes together with simple steps and bakes up into a full meal, so you can get dinner on the table without stressing.
- Family-friendly comfort food! Kids, partners, picky eaters… everyone loves a cheesy pasta bake! It’s the kind of dish that gets scraped clean every single time.
- Make-ahead and freezer-friendly! You can assemble it in advance or stash it in the freezer, making it a lifesaver for meal prep or unexpected guests.
- Cheesy, saucy goodness in every bite. With layers of mozzarella, fontina, creamy ricotta cheese, and parmesan (yes, 4 different types of cheese) melting into the pasta, it’s the perfect comfort food.
Main Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Ground beef and mild Italian sausage bring two different kinds of richness to the sauce: beef adds that deep, savory flavor, while sausage brings mild spices that bloom as they cook, adding layers of flavor you couldn’t get from beef alone.
- Ziti pasta has hollow tubes trap the sauce and cheese inside. Because it’s sturdy, ziti holds up to baking without getting mushy, so you end up with tender pasta that still has a bit of bite under all that bubbling cheese.
- Ricotta cheese adds creaminess and body to the pasta layers. Its mild, creamy flavor helps soften the acidity of the tomato sauce.
- Yellow onion, celery, and bell pepper forms what’s basically a flavor foundation. Onions release natural sugars when sautéed, which adds sweetness; celery has a light bitterness that balances acidity; and bell peppers soften and lend a mellow peppery/earthy flavor.
- Tomato paste is concentrated tomato flavor in a can. It deepens the sauce’s flavor and gives it that slightly “cooked all day” taste.
- Red wine adds a touch of acidity, which brightens the tomato base and balances all the richness.
- Marinara and crushed tomatoes are the bulk of the sauce, bringing both texture and acidity. This combo ensures the sauce clings to the ziti noodles, giving you flavor in each bite.
- Parmesan cheese is brings a rich, nutty flavor. It also helps thicken the sauce, making everything feel creamy.
- Mozzarella Cheese and Fontina Cheese bring the melty, stretchy, gooey cheese goodness! As the ziti bakes, the cheese forms a golden, bubbly crust. You can find both of these at your local grocery store.
- Pesto adds little pops of garlicky basil flavors that makes the ziti SO delicious!
Substitutions and Variations
- If you don’t want to use ground beef, you can also use ground turkey or even ground pork or chicken.
- You can swap out whole milk ricotta cheese for cottage cheese if you prefer.
- Penne pasta is a good substitute for ziti.
- I used store-bought sauce, but if you have homemade marinara sauce, feel free to use that!
- Pecorino romano is a good substitute for parmesan. Also, if you can’t find fontina, mozzarella cheese works just fine!
How To Make Baked Ziti
Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions, then drain.
Step 1: In a large pot over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and add in diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until just softened, then add in ground beef and ground italian sausage. Break apart with your spatula and cook until no longer pink.
Step 2: Drain off excess fat and then add in Italian seasoning, oregano, tomato paste, garlic paste, diced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the tomato paste is evenly dispersed throughout the meat. Add in red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pot. Add in marinara, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered. After 20 minutes, add in parmesan cheese, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Remove bay leaves and thyme, then turn off the heat.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, add ricotta, egg, pesto, chopped fresh basil, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix together.
Step 4: Then the cooked pasta to the ricotta cheese mixture. Toss to coat, then add about 1 cup of the meat sauce and mix together.
Assemble the Baked Ziti
Step 5: To a lasagna pan or large casserole dish, add a layer of meat sauce to the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of the ricotta pasta mixture. Add a sprinkle a layer of mozzarella, fontina cheese, and parmesan, then dollop about 1-2 tbsps of pesto on top. Repeat.
Step 6: Then add a layer of the ricotta pasta mixture. Add a sprinkle a layer of mozzarella, fontina cheese, and parmesan, then dollop about 1-2 tbsps of pesto on top. Repeat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until bubbling throughout. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Allow the baked ziti to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.
Pro Cooking Tips
- Let it rest. After baking, give the ziti at least 10-15 minutes to settle before serving. This helps the cheese set, makes slicing easier, and keeps the layers from collapsing into a gooey mess.
- Brown the meat properly. Don’t just cook the ground beef and sausage until it’s no longer pink, let it really brown in the pan. That caramelization (the Maillard reaction) gives the sauce a nice deep flavor!
- Deglaze with the wine. After browning the meat and tomato paste, pour in the red wine and scrape up all those browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. That’s pure flavor gold, and it melts into the sauce.
- Slightly undercook the pasta. Boil the ziti just 1-2 minutes shy of al dente. It will keep cooking in the oven, and this way it won’t turn mushy after baking.
What To Serve with Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is hearty and comforting, so it pairs best with side dishes that balance its richness. A fresh green salad and some garlic bread or warm focaccia is a must for soaking up all that saucy goodness.
You could also serve roasted or steamed vegetables, like broccoli or green beans, to round out the meal with something light and simple!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can assemble the dish up to a day in advance, cover it tightly, and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
Nope, cook it just shy of al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven as it absorbs the sauce, which keeps it from turning mushy.
Definitely. Ground beef and mild Italian sausage are classic, but you can swap in ground turkey, chicken sausage, or even go all-vegetable with mushrooms and zucchini for a lighter version.
Yes. Assemble the dish in a freezer-safe pan, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as usual.
Make sure there’s enough sauce to coat the pasta before baking, dry patches happen when there’s not enough moisture. Cover the dish with foil for the first part of baking to lock in steam, then uncover to brown the cheese.
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Baked Ziti with Ricotta
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish or Lasagna Pan
- 2 Large Pot
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb Ground Beef 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes2 Bay leaves 4 sprigs Thyme
- 1 lb Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 Yellow Onion, (diced)
- 2 Celery Stalks, (diced)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, (diced)
- 6 Garlic Cloves, (diced)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Garlic Paste
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Heavy Cream
- 1 cup Parmesan, (freshly grated)
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Bay leaves
- 4 sprigs Thyme
Ricotta Pasta Mixture
- 1 lb Ziti Pasta
- 16 oz Whole Milk Ricotta
- 1 Egg
- 3 tbsp Pesto, (more for layering)
- 2 tbsp Fresh Basil, (chopped)
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, (Freshly grated, more for layering)
For Assembling
- 4 cups Mozzarella Cheese, (shredded)
- 2 cups Fontina Cheese, (shredded)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and add in diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until just softened, then add in ground beef and ground italian sausage. Break apart with your spatula and cook until no longer pink.
- Drain off excess fat and then add in Italian seasoning, oregano, tomato paste, garlic paste, diced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for 4-6 minutes, until the tomato paste is evenly dispersed throughout the meat. Add in red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any bits off of the bottom of the pot.
- Add in marinara, crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 25 minutes, uncovered.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a separate pot, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package directions, then drain.
- After 20 minutes, add in parmesan cheese, heavy cream, sugar, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Remove bay leaves and thyme, then turn off the heat.
- In a separate bowl, add ricotta, egg, pesto, chopped fresh basil, garlic powder, kosher salt, black pepper, and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Mix together, then the cooked pasta to the ricotta cheese mixture. Toss to coat, then add about 1 cup of the meat sauce and mix together.
- To a lasagna pan or large casserole dish, add a layer of meat sauce to the bottom of the pan. Then add a layer of the ricotta pasta mixture. Add a sprinkle a layer of mozzarella, fontina cheese, and parmesan, then dollop about 1-2 tbsps of pesto on top. Repeat. If your baking dish is pretty full, place the dish onto a baking sheet to catch overflow from burning on the bottom of the oven.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for 15 minutes, until bubbling throughout. Broil for 2-4 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.
- Allow the baked ziti to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it.
Notes
- Brown the meat properly. Don’t just cook the ground beef and sausage until it’s no longer pink, let it really brown in the pan. That caramelization (the Maillard reaction) gives the sauce a nice deep flavor!
- Deglaze with the wine. After browning the meat and tomato paste, pour in the red wine and scrape up all those browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan. That’s pure flavor gold, and it melts into the sauce.
- Slightly undercook the pasta. Boil the ziti just 1-2 minutes shy of al dente. It will keep cooking in the oven, and this way it won’t turn mushy after baking.
- Let it rest. After baking, give the ziti at least 10-15 minutes to settle before serving. This helps the cheese set, makes slicing easier, and keeps the layers from collapsing into a gooey mess.
- If you don’t want to use ground beef, you can also use ground turkey or even ground pork or chicken.
- You can swap out whole milk ricotta cheese for cottage cheese if you prefer.
- Penne pasta is a good substitute for ziti.
- I used store-bought sauce, but if you have homemade marinara sauce, feel free to use that!
- Pecorino romano is a good substitute for parmesan. Also, if you can’t find fontina, mozzarella cheese works just fine!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you freeze this recipe?
Absolutely, this recipe freezes really well! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Delicious comfort food! I’ve made other ziti recipes before but I loved the addition of pesto in this one.
Thank you!
This sounds incredible! I can’t wait to try it.
I hope that you love it!