Best Baked Ziti
A hearty Italian dish with layers of pasta, marinara, and ricotta, baked to golden perfection. This Italian-inspired sheet-pan recipe, ready in about 70 minutes, pairs ziti pasta, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 380 calories and feeds 8, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 16 oz ziti pasta
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup (grated) Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook ziti according to package instructions, drain, and set aside.
- Step 2: In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Step 3: In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Layer half the pasta, followed by half the ricotta mixture, then 2 cups marinara sauce.
- Step 4: Repeat layers: pasta, ricotta, and marinara. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Drizzle with olive oil.
- Step 5: Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and golden. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
