Description
A delicious and hearty baked ziti recipe featuring layers of pasta, marinara, and cheeses.
Ingredients
Scale
- 400g (about 14 oz) ziti pasta
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If you forget and only remember after step 2, don’t sweat it. We’ve all been there.
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a rolling boil. You want it salty, like the Atlantic (but maybe less dramatic). Cook the ziti until it’s just this side of al dente—about 9 minutes, or whatever the package says minus a minute. Drain it, try not to burn yourself on the steam.
- Grab a big mixing bowl. Toss in the drained pasta, all but about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce, half the mozzarella, and all the ricotta. Stir it up, preferably with something you don’t mind getting saucy.
- Pour it all into a 9×13 inch baking dish (or whatever fits). Spoon the rest of the marinara over the top, scatter the rest of the mozzarella, and then sprinkle every inch with parmesan. If things look messy, that’s right on track.
- Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, until it’s bubbling and the cheese is a little golden. If you want the cheese really browned, throw it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes at the end—keep an eye out, it tends to go from golden to ‘oops’ in a blink.
- Let it cool for at least 10 minutes before attacking it with a spatula; otherwise, it’ll just kind of flop everywhere (still tasty, but presentation goes out the window).
Notes
- Adjust cooking time based on your oven’s temperament.
- Letting the dish cool improves slice integrity.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 50mg