Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

When I decided to share some of our favorite family foods, this Easy Baked Ziti Recipe was the first one that came to mind!

Years ago, Corey’s Aunt Kathy decided to mix things up and do an Italian-themed Christmas because so many of us already went to multiple traditional Christmas meals every holiday season. 

For the main course, she adapted a recipe she saw on TV and it became an instant hit.

I love making it when we’re going to have company. You can get the casserole dish in the oven and have plenty of time to clean up the kitchen before your guests arrive. Plus, it feeds a big group while being very affordable!

Although this baked pasta is VERY simple to cook, I always feel fancy making the homemade sauce from canned tomatoes instead of using a pre-made spaghetti sauce. 

It’s truly as simple as browning some onion, garlic, and Italian sausage in a large pot while your pasta noodles boil to al dente. Then you add tomatoes to the mix and combine the sauce and noodles together. 
The pasta & sauce mix then gets layered with lots of cheese in a casserole dish. Three different kinds of cheese in fact. Yum!  

With your layers complete, everything goes into the oven to melt into delicious goodness while you clean up the pans and prep anything else needed for dinner. 

Right before serving, I like to add some fresh basil to the top, but that’s totally optional! 

As you can imagine, this makes the whole house smell SO GOOD while it’s in the oven! We like serving the ziti bake with a simple side salad using Italian dressing. It’s also great with fresh bruschetta as an appetizer. Let me know in the comments if you want me to share our simple bruschetta recipe! 

Here’s the detailed Baked Ziti recipe ingredients and directions for you. 

Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This easy baked ziti recipe is always a crowd hit at family gatherings. We also love freezing the leftovers to reheat on a busy night.

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Ingredients

• 1 LB Ziti or Penne Pasta (Cooked)
• 1 LB Italian Sausage
• 1 Small White Onion (or 1/2 large)
• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 28 Ounce Can Whole Peeled Tomatoes
• 14 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• 2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 8 Ounce Can Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Basil
• Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the ziti noodles per package instructions.

While the noodles cook, mince the garlic & onion.

Add a drizzle of olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Once warm, add the garlic, onion, and Italian sausage to the pan.

When the sausage is browned, add both cans of tomatoes, squishing the whole tomatoes as they cook. They should be in bite sizes pieces when you're done. 

When the tomato/sausage mixture is warm and well combined (approximately 10 minutes), add your cooked penne to the mixture and remove from heat. 

Layer the pasta mixture with all 3 cheeses in a 9 x 13 baking dish. The top layer should be cheese. 

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until the baked ziti is hot & bubbly. 

While the dish is cooling, chop fresh basil leaves and add them to top. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 520Total Fat: 33gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 1030mgCarbohydrates: 27gNet Carbohydrates: 24gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 29g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate and varies based on the exact products used.

Be warned – this does make A LOT of ziti.

 

Sometimes we crave it when we’re not entertaining. It works well to eat half the pan over a few days and freeze the other half to enjoy later. To reheat, I just sprinkle a little water onto each serving before microwaving to prevent it from getting too dry. 

Don’t forget to pin the post so you can find the recipe again later! Enjoy!