Baked Ziti with Cheese

My kitchen filled with the smell of bubbling tomato sauce the first time I made baked ziti for a group of friends who showed up unexpectedly on a Friday night. I had pasta in the pantry, a can of tomatoes, and some ricotta left over from the week before, so I layered them into a baking dish without much of a plan. Twenty minutes later, golden cheese was melting across the top, and suddenly I had created something that felt both effortless and deeply satisfying.

I served this to my neighbor once when she'd just moved in, and she kept coming back to the same pan for seconds, scraping up the caramelized cheese from the edges. That's when I realized this dish has a quiet power—it doesn't demand attention with fancy ingredients or technique, but it somehow becomes the center of every conversation at the table.

Ingredients

• Dried ziti or penne pasta (400 g): Tube shapes hold sauce better than anything else, and cooking it just under al dente means it won't turn mushy when it bakes.
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons): Good quality matters here since it's the only fat in your sauce base and flavors everything.
• Onion (1 medium, finely chopped): This is your flavor foundation—don't skip it or rush it, those 3-4 minutes of softening create sweetness that balances the acidity of tomatoes.
• Garlic cloves (3, minced): Add it after the onion softens so it doesn't burn and turn bitter in the pan.
• Canned crushed tomatoes (800 g): The acidity and body of good tomatoes make or break the entire dish, so choose a brand you trust.
• Tomato paste (2 tablespoons): This concentrates the tomato flavor and thickens the sauce naturally without reducing it for hours.
• Dried oregano and basil (1 teaspoon each): Italian seasoning works too if you want to simplify, but these dried herbs bloom when simmered in the sauce.
• Red pepper flakes (1/2 teaspoon, optional): A whisper of heat wakes up all the other flavors without overwhelming anything.
• Ricotta cheese (400 g): This is the secret to creaminess—it's milder and looser than cottage cheese, so don't swap them unless you have to.
• Egg (1 large): This binds the ricotta mixture and keeps it from separating as it bakes.
• Parmesan cheese (60 g grated, plus 40 g for topping): Freshly grated tastes sharper and melts more evenly than pre-shredded, which is worth the extra thirty seconds.
• Fresh parsley or basil (2 tablespoons): Adds brightness to the ricotta layer and freshness right before serving.
• Mozzarella cheese (250 g shredded): Low-moisture mozzarella browns better than fresh—this is where the golden bubbling magic happens.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper: Taste as you go because cheese has its own saltiness, and you don't want things to overpower.

Instructions

Set your oven and prepare:

Preheat to 190°C (375°F) and grease a 23x33 cm baking dish with a little olive oil or butter—this prevents sticking and creates a subtle crust on the bottom.

Get the pasta going:

Boil salted water in a large pot and cook your ziti about 2 minutes under al dente, since it will keep cooking in the oven. You want it tender but with a tiny bit of resistance when you bite it.

Build your sauce:

While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a skillet and let the onion soften until it's completely translucent and starting to look golden at the edges. Add garlic for just one minute—you're looking for fragrant, not browned—then pour in your tomatoes, tomato paste, and dried herbs.

Simmer the sauce:

Let it bubble gently uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly and tastes rounded instead of sharp. This is when you taste and adjust salt and pepper.

Make the ricotta mixture:

In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, fresh herbs, salt, and pepper, mixing until everything is evenly distributed but not overdone. This fills the layers with creamy pockets that melt into the pasta as it bakes.

Combine pasta and sauce:

Toss your drained ziti with half the tomato sauce in a large bowl, coating everything evenly. This step distributes the flavor throughout the pasta instead of pooling it at the bottom.

Layer like you mean it:

Spread half the sauced pasta in your baking dish, dollop the ricotta mixture over it and spread gently with a spatula, scatter half the mozzarella, then add the remaining sauced pasta, remaining sauce, and finish with the last of the mozzarella and extra Parmesan on top.

Bake covered, then uncovered:

Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes so the cheese doesn't brown before everything heats through, then remove the foil and bake 10-15 minutes more until the top is golden and bubbling at the edges.

Rest before serving:

Let it sit for 10 minutes—this isn't just a nice-to-have, it lets the layers set so you get clean slices instead of a collapsed scoop. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil if you have it.

Save

I remember my dad taking one bite of this when I made it for a Sunday dinner and saying, quietly, that it tasted like home. He didn't grow up with fancy cooking, and neither did I—we grew up with food that brought people together without apology, and somehow that's exactly what this dish does.

Why This Works as Comfort Food

There's something about layered cheese and pasta that makes people feel looked after, even if the total time in the kitchen was barely an hour. The ricotta in the middle creates pockets of creaminess that mozzarella alone can never achieve, and the tomato sauce underneath keeps everything bright instead of heavy. It's the kind of dish that tastes like someone cared enough to do more than just dump ingredients together, but not so complicated that you'd stress about it.

Building Flavor Depth

The magic happens when you let that sauce simmer—those 10 minutes aren't just cooking time, they're when the tomato paste deepens and the oregano and basil bloom and mellow. The onion and garlic create a sweet, savory base that's completely different from jarred sauce, and you'll taste the difference immediately. If you have time, letting the assembled dish sit in the fridge for a few hours before baking actually makes the flavors meld even better.

Making It Your Own

This recipe is a canvas, not a rulebook, and I've seen versions that come alive when you toss in sautéed mushrooms, fresh spinach, or even a handful of cooked Italian sausage if you're craving something heartier. Some people swear by adding a splash of red wine to the sauce, and honestly, a pinch more red pepper flakes if you like heat goes a long way. The beauty is that the base recipe is so solid that additions just make it more interesting without ever falling apart.

• Mushrooms and spinach both soften into the sauce beautifully and add a subtle earthiness that plays well with the tomatoes.
• If you go the sausage route, brown it separately and stir it into the sauce to avoid pooling grease.
• Cottage cheese works if you're in a pinch, but use it slightly less generously since it's looser than ricotta.

Save

Baked ziti is one of those rare dishes that actually gets better as it sits, the flavors settling into the pasta like a warm hug. If you have leftovers, they reheat beautifully in a covered dish in a low oven, and cold the next day it's honestly perfect for lunch.

Recipe FAQs

→ What pasta works best for this dish?

Dried ziti or penne pasta are ideal due to their tubular shape, which holds the sauce and cheese well.

→ Can I use a different cheese than ricotta?

Cottage cheese can be substituted for ricotta if preferred, though the texture will slightly differ.

→ How do I ensure the pasta stays al dente?

Cook the pasta about 2 minutes less than package instructions allow, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

→ What herbs enhance the sauce flavor?

Dried oregano, basil, and fresh parsley add aromatic and fresh flavors that complement the tomato sauce perfectly.

→ Can I add extra ingredients to the sauce?

Yes, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or cooked Italian sausage can be added to enrich the sauce.

→ What’s the best way to achieve a golden cheese topping?

Bake covered for most of the time, then uncover for the last 10-15 minutes to allow the cheese to brown and bubble beautifully.