I'm here to convince you that you need an Easy Baked Ziti Recipe you can turn to on lazy nights! We've shared over 10 one-pan pasta recipes on Borrowed Bites, but this one might be the easiest yet! It's truly dump-and-bake: No chopping, no boiling, and less than 10 minutes of hands on time. The ingredients are super affordable to keep on hand (meat is optional) and it's flexible enough to be the perfect SOS comfort-food dinner.
Next time you need a weeknight hero, try one of our other favorite One Pan Dinner Recipes.
I've always loved the idea of making a quick weeknight pasta without boiling the noodles first. One pan pastas like this Skillet Lasagna or this Shredded Chicken Pasta accomplish this by cooking the noodles right in the sauce on the stove.
But we finally decided to test our theory that we could get the same kind of creamy, saucy noodles with even less effort by baking everything in the oven. And it worked!
Recipe Notes from Danielle & Misty
Technique is everything in this recipe! With some trial and error, we've found that the key to getting raw pasta consistently cooked through in the oven is in the liquid.
The amount, of course, is important, but easier to nail down. The real trick is making sure the liquids are very hot before you pour them in the pan. This gives the pasta a head start in the oven. When we tried room temperature or cold liquids, the pasta just didn't cook all the way through.
Ingredients for one pan baked ziti
This whole dinner is made with less than 10 ingredients! Most are pantry-staples that don't need an explanation, but I want to highlight the four ingredients that really make a difference in the final result.
- Heavy cream: This also goes by heavy whipping cream in some stores. Cream has a high fat content, which is great in this recipe because it keeps the sauce creamy! The recipe will not turn out the same if you substitute with milk.
- Pasta sauce: This is where the most flavor comes from, so use a sauce you really like. Our favorite by leaps and bounds is Rao's (not sponsored, just truly what we use). We have used lower quality sauces like Prego or Ragu in recipes in the past, and you can really tell the difference.
- Ziti pasta: Ziti is the traditional noodle for this dish, however you can substitute with another medium, tubular pasta such as penne if needed.
- Ricotta: In my opinion, baked ziti isn't baked ziti without ricotta. It's classic! We tested different amounts and discovered that more than 8 oz makes the pasta too creamy (weird complaint, I know!). You can leave it out if you prefer, but I think it's one of the elements that makes this dinner stand out!
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make easy baked ziti
To get started, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spray a 9x13 pan (ceramic, glass, or metal) with cooking spray or a light layer of oil. You'll also want to have a piece of aluminum foil ready for the top of the pan.
Combine the chicken stock, heavy cream, marinara sauce, garlic, salt, oregano, and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl (I like to use my 8 cup liquid measuring cup).
Microwave the mixture until very hot, about 5 minutes, pausing to stir occasionally.
While the liquids are warming, pour the ziti noodles into the prepared pan. Pour the hot liquids directly on top, covering evenly.
Add dollops of ricotta cheese across the top of the noodles, if using. Then cover tightly with aluminum foil being sure to crimp the edges.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the noodles are just about al dente.
Remove the tinfoil from the top of the pan and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese across the top evenly. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are hot and bubbly.
How to make baked ziti with meat
We usually opt to make this without meat so that it stays an ultra-simple one pot meal. But you absolutely can add meat if you'd like! I suggest using one pound of ground Italian sausage, ground beef, or ground chicken.
Cook the meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula or meat chopper as it cooks. Once it is completely cooked through and no pink remains, remove it from the heat and drain the excess liquids. Add it with the noodles to the pan before pouring in the liquids.
Sides for serving
When I make a dinner as easy as this, I want the sides to be just as easy (otherwise what's the point?). Here are a few ideas that I have served with this dinner.
- Garlic Bread
- Pull Apart Bread (with store-bought dough)
- Cucumber Salad
- Spinach Avocado Salad
- Super Easy Flatbread Pizza
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the liquids are truly hot, or the pasta won't cook in time.
- Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start so that you can move quickly with the hot liquids.
More recipes
Looking for other recipes? Try these:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Baked Ziti Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (22-24 ounce) jar marinara sauce about 3 cups
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 lb ziti pasta noodles not cooked
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese optional
- 6 ounces (about 1½ cups) mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Spray a 9x13 pan (ceramic, glass, or metal) with cooking spray or a light layer of oil. You'll also want to have a piece of aluminum foil ready for the top of the pan.
- Combine the chicken stock, heavy cream, marinara sauce, garlic, salt, oregano, and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Microwave the mixture until very hot, about 5 minutes, pausing to stir occasionally.3 cups chicken stock, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 (22-24 ounce) jar marinara sauce, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon sugar
- While the liquids are warming, pour the ziti noodles into the prepared pan. Pour the hot liquids directly on top, covering evenly.1 lb ziti pasta noodles
- Add dollops of ricotta cheese across the top of the noodles, if using. Then cover tightly with aluminum foil being sure to crimp the edges. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the noodles are just about al dente.8 ounces ricotta cheese
- Remove the tinfoil from the top of the pan and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese across the top evenly. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are hot and bubbly.6 ounces (about 1½ cups) mozzarella cheese
Notes
- Make sure the liquids are truly hot, or the pasta won't cook in time.
- Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start so that you can move quickly with the hot liquids.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
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