Baked Ziti

Dana’s favorite meal of all time is baked ziti.  I have never made it, so I decided to tackle it.  I used a basic marinara sauce and then went from there.  My first problem was that the local grocery stores did not carry ziti.  They carried penne and rigatoni.  I opted for the bigger rigatoni noodles.  It turned out to be a great choice.  Dana loved it and gave the recipe two thumbs up.

Bake Ziti

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a large pot, boil 6-8 quarts of water and cook the pasta till partially done.  For ziti or rigatoni cook for 10 minutes and drain.

Grease a 13×9 pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the marinara sauce and the ricotta cheese.

Mix well until the cheese is thoroughly blended.  Make sure not to have any huge ricotta lumps.

Add the drained pasta to the pan.  Then pour the marinara and ricotta mixture over the top.  Also add half of the mozzarella cheese.

Top the pasta with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is browned.

Serve with some garlic bread and you have a great meal.

Baked Ziti

Creamy, cheesy baked ziti pasta casserole with marinara sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella. Dana’s favorite comfort food.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb box ziti rigatoni, or penne
• 3 cups marinara sauce or 24 oz jar pasta sauce
• 15 oz tub ricotta cheese
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese
• 2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large pot, boil 6-8 quarts of water and cook the pasta till partially done. For ziti or rigatoni cook for 10 minutes and drain.
3. Grease a 13×9 pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
4. In a large bowl combine the marinara sauce and the ricotta cheese.
5. Add the drained pasta to the mixture and combine.
6. Pour the pasta mixture into the greased 13×9 pan.
7. Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
8. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and slightly golden.
9. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Can be made ahead and refrigerated before baking. Add 10-15 minutes to baking time if baking from cold. Equipment: Large pot, 13×9 baking pan, Large mixing bowl, Aluminum foil, Measuring cups/spoons. Use Chosen Avocado Spray for greasing pan if desired.