Easy Baked Ziti
I call it “lazy lasagna” because it tastes like lasagna but without all the work. Using the leanest beef and part skim cheeses makes this easy casserole light and healthy. There are many different brands of sauce so taste your meat sauce and add salt or spices if you like. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces ziti pasta
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup copped onion
- 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- 24-ounce jar marinara sauce (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 6 ounces part skim mozzarella, shredded by hand
- 6 teaspoons grated parmesan
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Start the water for pasta.
- In a big pan sauté onion & garlic in oil over med-high heat for 2 min.
- Add meat, stirring to break it up. Cook for 3 min. until the pink is gone.
- Add sauce & pour 1/4 cup water into the jar, cover & shake, and pour the rest of the sauce into the pan. (meantime, start the pasta)
- Cook sauce for 10 minutes. Taste for salt & add extra spices if you like.
- Drain pasta, return to pasta cooking pot & stir in ricotta.
- Spread 1/2 cup sauce into a large baking pan (2 1/2 qt).
- Add 3 layers as follows: 1/3 of the ziti, 1/3 of the meat sauce, 1/3 of the mozarella, and 1/3 of the parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Notes: For more on this recipe in my blog click here.
Easy Baked Ziti
Leave a Comment
Jacqueline
November 28, 2023 at 2:10 pm
When do I add the ricotta?
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Jenny Can Cook
November 28, 2023 at 9:10 pm
Step #7.
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Jeanie Manser
April 11, 2023 at 7:09 am
This sounds like an awesome recipe! I’ve never had baked ziti before, but my friend had it at a restaurant yesterday and told me about it and it sounds SO GOOD. We’ve been getting our kitchen renovated and our cabinets refaced over the last few days, so I think it’d be good to have a nice, homemade meal once the kitchen is back in order! Thank you for sharing this! I think my family is going to love it!
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Cesse47
February 20, 2023 at 8:23 am
LOVE IT!! Have excess cans of tomato sauce so used it instead of marina. Also used large can of Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies. I did heavily salt pasta water. Missed step to stir ricotta into pasta … just dolloped onto each layer.
Came out of oven looking and smelling scrumptious! I did not use any salt or pepper during cooking process except in the pasta water. I did add S&P onto my plated portion. Sooooo Gooooood!!!
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Karen
February 6, 2023 at 12:12 pm
Wonderful dish. Love Jenny Jone’s recipes. Keep them coming Jenny.
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June
November 14, 2022 at 10:19 am
The next day: Cleanup a breeze. Actually saved the aluminum foil throw-away 3-qt pan; it was baked in. I simply soaked it a few minutes, then brushed it out–good to go again!
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June
November 13, 2022 at 8:24 pm
I think it needs a little salt in thd pasta water. My son can’t eat garlic so I used plain pureed tomatoes with herbs instead of pasta sauce. Turned out really good after I added a bit of salt to the final dish. A great new kind of “lasagna.”
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Ingrid
September 1, 2022 at 10:45 pm
Thank you! Another easy good recipe. We really appreciate you Jenny.
P.S. My daughter’s name is Jenny.Reply to this comment
Anh
May 22, 2022 at 5:08 pm
Hi everyone, just so you know, 10 ounces of penne is about 2 1/2 cups of uncooked
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Anh
May 22, 2022 at 4:30 pm
Hi Jenny, I’ve made this so many times and my family has always enjoyed it tremendously! I usually make a big pot of spaghetti sauce for spaghetti one night then make ziti a few days later. It’s like killing 2 birds with one stone! My son in law even shared it with his boss and his boss loved it!
Thank you!Reply to this comment
Tammy
March 29, 2022 at 2:11 pm
FYI-The recipe says to use a 2 1/ 2 quart pan and the video says to use a 4 quart pan. By the looks of it, a 4 quart pan is correct unless you said 4 quart and it is really a 2 1/ 2 quart.
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Jenny Can Cook
March 29, 2022 at 6:20 pm
I didn’t realize I did that. Actually, any size large casserole dish will work. I see that I used a 4-quart pan in the video but at home, I usually use my 2 1/2 quart Pyrex.
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Ryan
January 28, 2022 at 6:45 pm
Me and my boyfriend make this a few times a year and I’m fresh out of the spaghetti slammer
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John
October 11, 2021 at 5:03 pm
Still lovin’ this dish!
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Lisa S
March 23, 2021 at 3:46 pm
Just made the Easy Baked Ziti. It was so good! Made it with mild Italian sausage instead of ground beef. Can’t wait to make it again.
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angie santarossa
January 13, 2021 at 8:28 am
Hi Jenny
i love your recipes i have made 90 percent of them and love them all!!
curious i don’t like marinara sauce can i substitute for plain tomato sauce or use a tomato spaghetti sauce that i have madeReply to this comment
Helena
January 4, 2022 at 7:38 pm
I would use any kind of sauce with this recipe with those kind of ingredients even a cheese sauce. Yummy Yummy
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Holley
December 8, 2020 at 5:42 pm
Gosh Jenny I don’t even use Google anymore; I just come here for ideas! Thank you for another hit!
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June
November 12, 2022 at 8:32 pm
Yes, I know what you mean. My little shelf of basic and not-so-basic cookbooks goes untouched for weeks. Jenny’s recipes are practical, delicious and, best of all, adaptable. I go, “why didn’t I think of that? But I didn’t, and Jenny did. Then I often take off and substitute ingredients; but Jenny has the proportions right so the food turns out fine. You don’t have to comb several markets to get rare ingredients you’ll only use once; you don’t have to contend with a family member whose delicate throat can’t take hot stuff or whose palate rejects strange tastes. Yet there is plenty of variety even using mostly familiar ingredients and treating them differently. I just can’t thank you enough.
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Lot miranda
November 13, 2020 at 10:33 am
Tried this recipe last night, it was really good. Do not omit the real mozzarella , do not buy the pre shred mozzarella and only 10 ounces of ziti, I also use a good brand lean ground beef. My 10 and 12 year old loved it, they are picky eaters. I also use a ready made jarred marinara, follow the instructions and your family will ask for seconds.
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Alexis
October 20, 2020 at 9:26 am
Love love love this dish! It’s become a family favorite. I’m getting ready to make it tonight and I just had to watch your video again because it makes me so happy and excited to cook!
Thanks for all the recipes, Jenny!Reply to this comment
Debra Cembrinski
September 27, 2020 at 7:47 pm
Love you and your videos..please dont stop …EVER !! 🙂
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Fina
July 26, 2020 at 1:11 am
What’s the size (width, length and depth) of the pan to bake? Metric would be great! Thanks! Can’t wait to try
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Jenny Can Cook
July 26, 2020 at 10:18 am
I use a 2.8 liter Corningware pan (about 7 x 9 inches – 2.5 quart). I added this to the recipe so thank you for asking.
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Barbara
July 13, 2020 at 10:32 am
How long do you need to cook the pasta
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NANA LORRAINE
June 23, 2020 at 2:09 pm
Hi Jenny,
Just made the Baked Ziti and loved everything about it! I followed the directions exactly and am so glad I did–it was perfect. I just found your
site and made your No Knead Bread yesterday. It was a huge success.
I can’t wait to make another of your recipes tomorrow! Thanks for a wonderful website.Reply to this comment
Vickie
June 4, 2020 at 9:03 am
Has anyone made this in a crockpot? I have a casserole shaped one and I would like to try it. Wondering how long it would take to cook and on what heat. I made it as written and loved it. But I thought with a crockpot it would make a great potluck dish. Thanks Jenny, I’m working my way through all your recipes.
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Vickie
June 4, 2020 at 9:02 am
Has anyone made this in a crockpot? I have a casserole shaped one and I would like to try it. Wondering how long it would take to cook and on what heat. I made it as written and loved it. But I thought with a crockpot it would make a great potluck dish. Thanks Jenny, can’t stop making your no knead bread.
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Gloria
May 30, 2020 at 6:51 pm
Thank you for another delicious receipe.I made a spaghetti sauce with vegetables (no meat).This receipe is alot easier to make instead of lasagna. Going to make your dark choc.fudge brownies soon.Thank You!!
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Judy
May 23, 2020 at 3:35 am
Jenny, I made your baked ziti yesterday and it was really delicious! Thank you for the perfect quarantine comfort food. (Yes, my state is still staying home for the month of May.) Hard to believe this is a ‘lighter’ version, but so many recipes use a lot more cheese for the amount of pasta, which is totally unnecessary because this casserole was so creamy and cheesy. I admit to a few cheats that maybe added a few small calories, but I’d like to think it’s all about portion size :). For anyone interested, I substituted 1/4 pound of ground pork for the beef but drained the fat from the meat before adding the sauce, so I don’t think it added much extra fat. Also, I used whole milk ricotta because that’s what I had, and since ricotta and mozzarella are both very mild, I substituted 1 oz of sharp white cheddar for 1 oz of the mozzarella. I think that enhanced the depth of flavor. I added lots of Italian seasoning to the meat, as well as some garlic powder and dried basil to the pasta and ricotta cheese mix. I saved some of the starchy pasta water for the sauce jar ‘trick’, since I normally add some of that when blending sauce with pasta and oil to serve fresh. It is a great emulsifier, making everything more creamy. (It also came in handy to get my pasta unstuck, since I mixed it up in advance.) And you are right that the extra moisture prevents the casserole from drying out as it bakes. The dish I used was full to the brim so I put a flat pan underneath to catch any bubbling over, and it turned out perfectly. That seemed like a better idea than using an overly large baking dish as far as staying moist. I can’t wait to try this again with some spinach or maybe mushrooms in the sauce for variation. It really is the ultimate comfort food.
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Debra
May 3, 2020 at 8:37 am
Hi Jenny,
Thanks so much for your baked ziti recipe! I made it last night and it was delicious ?. I followed your recipe exactly and was very happy with the results. It makes quite a bit…probably 2.5 servings for my husband & I.
The next recipe I’m thinking about making are your granola bars, as I have all the ingredients.
Love your videos too! Thanks again,
Debra (from BC, Canada)Reply to this comment
Linda Funa
April 28, 2020 at 2:30 pm
Hi Jenny, Thank you for all your recipes, so far I made the chocolate cake, chocolate muffin, and I’m going to make the bake ziti tonight for dinner, I’m not a cook or baker but your recipes are very simple, even I can do it.
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Donna
April 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm
In the video it is recommended to use a 4 quart baking dish. I followed the recipe exactly, and it does not even fill half of this size dish – had to transfer to a much smaller dish. ???
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Jenny Can Cook
April 17, 2020 at 6:19 pm
Sorry, my mistake. I used a 3-quart dish but they do not allow video editing so I can’t change what’s on the video. I hope you liked the casserole – I’m having it tonight!
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Jeanine
April 26, 2020 at 7:23 pm
Hi Jenny. I just wanted to tell you how much I love your recipes and videos! I recently discovered your videos during the pandemic. Your calming, sweet voice and playful style puts a smile on my face. Thank you for sharing your talent!
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Alan
April 10, 2020 at 8:40 pm
Tried the baked ziti tonight. It was wonderful! I didn’t have ricotta cheese, but I did have reduced fat cream cheese. It worked well. Thanks for all the recipes you have provided online.
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Anna
January 20, 2020 at 7:56 pm
This was easy and really good. I added a little Italian spice. Moist and filling. I really like your simple down to earth recipes and presentation. When you say it’s gonna be good, it is.
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KaciNC
May 26, 2019 at 3:25 pm
Baked this the first time and it was amazing. The second time, I didn’t follow the measurements and just threw things together..turned out bland. The third time I followed her recipe exactly and it was once again wonderful. Make sure you’re measuring the noodles dry before cooking, and use GOOD mozzarella.
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B.A.F.
May 14, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Jenny every one of your recipes are the best. Healthier and every bit as good as the high fat recipes. We’re polish and those recipes are very similar to our Babcia.
Most importantly they’re free and printable. Thanks Jenny Jones for your time. I found you on YouTube.Reply to this comment
Irene Reynolds
April 11, 2019 at 1:17 pm
Jenny, I was reading all of the comments and seeing as I only wanted a recipe for two, I reduced the pasta ingredients to 8 oz and left the remainder of the recipe the same… this way you don’t have to increase the sauce ingredients. I also like to add a pinch of sugar and a pinch of red pepper flakes to any of my tomato sauce recipes.
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Jenny Can Cook
March 31, 2019 at 4:00 pm
I tried Eva’s idea below and added spinach and loved it. I used about 3/4 ounce of baby spinach and put some in each layer on top of the meat sauce. Thank you for sharing, Eva.
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Eva
March 7, 2019 at 4:46 pm
I make this but I add Spinach on each layer so so good.
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pat from Canada
March 3, 2019 at 11:24 am
HI Jenny…well, its ready for the oven…..I had to use Rigatoni ( hope you don’t mind..lol..), did use my home made sauce….I was interested and loved your idea in adding the Ricotta cheese to the hot pasta…and the smaller pasta will be a great change….I can make lasagna so know your version will be great. Enjoy being in your kitchen. Thanks….Pat from Canada…..
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Betty
May 29, 2018 at 3:49 pm
Today I cook baked ziti, so easy to make..it was delicious. .thank you ?
Reply to this comment
Gerri
March 7, 2018 at 8:54 pm
Jenny,
All is good with printing the recipes (am still learning how to use this computer —
Reading the comments helps.
Am anxious to try your recipes.
I love their simplicity.Reply to this comment
Gerri
March 8, 2018 at 8:45 pm
Jenny,
Made the baked ziti for dinner.
It was dry – had to substitute as ziti was not available.
Made too much pasta.
Needs more sauce.
Not sure about making it again.
I don’ think it saves that much time compared to lasagna.
Want to try some of your other recipes.
g.Reply to this comment
Jeff
February 1, 2020 at 8:42 am
Try making it according to the recipe and it won’t be dry.
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Jenny
December 17, 2017 at 4:26 pm
Best ziti I’ve ever tasted!! So good and easy!
Thank you!
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Marcia
December 2, 2017 at 3:52 am
Can this recipe be doubled?
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Antonia
October 22, 2017 at 10:30 pm
Hi Jenny,
Can you make this dish in advance??Reply to this comment
pat from Canada
March 3, 2019 at 11:26 am
why not, I will even freeze my leftovers….
Reply to this comment
Mel
October 5, 2017 at 1:24 pm
I have tried to print off several of your recipes by clicking the “print” button that appears next to the recipe name- but all that appears is a blank page. I did copy & paste the ingredients & instructions section & made the ziti (YUM) but I am wondering if I am missing out on cute recipe print-outs?
Reply to this comment
Jenny
October 5, 2017 at 1:26 pm
Please see the FAQs.
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Mel
October 5, 2017 at 9:05 pm
Thank you! Trying it a second time worked. Thank you for all your yummy recipes & love your humor-infused videos. If I am having a bad day, all I have to do is watch a Jenny recipe video & laugh & feel better!
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Sage Hanson
May 28, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Hi I’m 12 years old and the first time I made this Ziti and my family love this dish (I’m still 12 years old)
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Jenny
May 28, 2017 at 11:50 pm
Good for you! Keep me posted next time you make one of my recipes. Your family must be really proud of you!
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Cloth
May 26, 2017 at 12:12 pm
YUMMY!!! This was soo good, absolutely delish. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Reply to this comment
Jane Lloyd
February 17, 2017 at 4:39 am
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it, and it was delicious! Big hit with my landlord (crucial in SF, Ca) ?.
Ricotta mixed in with pasta? Genius!
Can’t wait to tackle your Manicotti!
Thanks again.Reply to this comment
Kris
January 29, 2017 at 7:42 am
Jenny, what brand of marinara sauce did you use? Thank you!
Reply to this comment
Jenny
January 30, 2017 at 12:24 pm
Silver Palate Low Sodium.
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Sharon
January 7, 2017 at 4:28 pm
This was delicious! I followed recipe exactly and the ratio of pasta to sauce is perfect.
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Ann
July 9, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Hi Jenny, what size pan can I use please. Thank you!
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Jenny
July 9, 2016 at 2:22 pm
I use a Corning 2.8 liter (3-quart) pan that measures about 8 by 10 inches.
Reply to this comment
Ann
July 10, 2016 at 9:14 pm
Thank you Jenny! I’m going to make this tomorrow!
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FoodLoveCritic
February 23, 2016 at 2:35 pm
Jenny,
That was an awesome recipe. It will be a regular my house. DELICIOUS!
Thanks JennyReply to this comment
Sarah Vermilya
February 14, 2016 at 1:13 pm
Jenny,
Ran across this recipe. ( Love your recipes, thank you so much.) I followed your recipe with a few changes. Wanted to share with you what I did. First of all, I am vegetarian so I left the meat out. I did not have any ziti but I did have a box of lasgna noodles. I took the lasagna noodles and randomly broke them into approximately 2×2 inch pieces. No need to be exact. Followed the recipe as you wrote it. Lasagna noodles instead of ziti…..made it a truly lazy lasagna. Turned out wonderful.
Thank You again,
Sarah, upstate new yorkReply to this comment
Reenie
January 17, 2016 at 4:56 pm
Just made this tonight and it was really good!!!! I used about three cups of sauce altogether and only did two layers. Will be making this again; Thanks Jenny for a quick, easy and tasty recipe.
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Reenie
January 17, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Forgot to mention I also used italian chicken sausage and it came out perfect.
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Brad
January 1, 2016 at 1:18 pm
I just made this last night and it was fantastic! It really does give you all the flavors of lasagne while keeping it easy and lighter in fat and calories. I made it with hot Italian chicken sausage which was delicious and gave it a spicy kick. When I was making it, it didn’t seem like enough pasta, but it cooks up really well and was awesome! I agree with Jenny in the video, don’t let the sauce cook down too much. You really need it to be a juicy sauce for it to not turn out too dry.
Reply to this comment
Jo
October 5, 2015 at 5:31 am
Jenny,
Just found your site and have been experimenting with your recipes…
Your recipes are fantastic!What would you suggest serving with the Baked Ziti?
Reply to this comment
Jenny
October 5, 2015 at 12:53 pm
I always serve a salad with it and sometimes I add some steamed broccoli on the side. I always try to eat fresh and cooked veggies at every meal.
Reply to this comment
Joyce
June 27, 2015 at 6:49 pm
Could u use spicy chicken sausages in place of the hamburger I would cut the sausages up & brown in place of hamburger. What do u think? My son &a daughter in law don’t eat hardly any beef.
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Jenny
June 27, 2015 at 9:48 pm
It’s hard to answer questions about changing my recipes since I usually only make them the way I post them. I have only made baked ziti with beef so I’m sorry I don’t know if you can use sausage. I’m just a home cook and not a trained chef so I don’t always have the answer. I guess you would have to try or look for a ziti recipe made with sausage. Sorry I can’t help here.
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Mikey
February 10, 2020 at 1:01 pm
A little late to the FAQs, but I have made this recipe at least a dozen times and often, for parties, with ground mild Italian sausage in one dish and beef in another. Delicious both ways. Thank you, Jenny.
My only wish is that I had calorie information since I try to keep track of my daily intake. 🙂Reply to this comment
Brad
January 1, 2016 at 1:14 pm
Yes you can! I did it last night with chicken italian sausage and it was delicious!
Reply to this comment
Alice Fong
June 7, 2015 at 2:40 am
May I know 10 oz of pasta is how many cup or grams? 1 lb of meat isn”t 450g? The sauce can I use Italian sauce or pasta sauce? I can”t find ricotta cheese in my country can use cheddar cheese to replace it? 6 oz mozzarella is how many cup or grams?
Reply to this comment
Jenny
June 7, 2015 at 1:31 pm
The metric conversion chart in my blog (https://www.jennycancook.com/category/a-metric-conversion-chart/) will help you get through all my recipes. You can use any Italian-style tomato-based red sauce in this recipe, like marinara, spaghetti sauce, or pasta sauce. Cheddar cheese can not be used to replace ricotta cheese. Ricotta is a white cheese similar to cottage cheese so that would be a closer replacement. Good luck with it!
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Dave
May 7, 2015 at 12:51 pm
This Easy Baked Ziti was the best I have ever eaten. Thanks Jenny
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Rich
January 4, 2015 at 8:19 am
Great. Recipe, but was a little bland so we added Italian Seasoning and added a little more marinara sauce.
Reply to this comment
denise
November 20, 2014 at 11:03 am
Awesome meal. It was really delicious. Tasted just like lasagna but not all the work. It’s a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
Reply to this comment
Cheryl Adam
November 11, 2014 at 10:57 am
Hi Jenny,
I just made the ‘Easy Baked Ziti’ for dinner last night. Wow, was it ever good! This will be a regular dish in our household from now on. My husband commented how light it was, which is something that’s important to him in a comfort-style meal. And I just enjoyed my second helping as a quick work lunch.
Thanks, Jenny.Reply to this comment
tricia
October 2, 2014 at 10:43 pm
It looks delicious!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe… can’t wait to make it during the weekends
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Aunt Saucey
September 29, 2014 at 5:09 pm
Another delicious recipe Jenny, big hit with my family 🙂
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Martha
September 26, 2014 at 4:18 am
I made this last night and it was great. My guys really loved this meal. I did add some squash to get some vegetables in, but no one could tell and we almost ate the whole dish. Thanks Jenny.
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Linda
September 13, 2014 at 9:17 am
This was excellent! Loved it more than my traditional lasagna and much less work. This is a keeper! Thank you <3
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Ewa
August 18, 2014 at 12:09 pm
I did it. Very good. And easy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
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Eva
August 16, 2014 at 5:17 am
Wonderful recipe, I will most certainly be making that, since my lasagnas don’t always have the texture and consistency I like. Thank you Jenny.
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Ewa
August 7, 2014 at 4:38 am
Looks delicious. I have couple of technical questions. 1. The pasta needs to be cooked, first, right? 2. First layer ( “1/2 cup of sauce”)- you mean the meat sauce, right? And the last question: I understand that you repeat the layers 3 times ending with the parmesan. Am I correct? I will be grateful for the answers. Thanks again for your recepies. I love them.
Reply to this comment
Jenny
August 7, 2014 at 9:54 am
1. The pasta DOES need to be cooked per package directions and drained first.
2. The first layer is the meat sauce but I try to use more of the juice and less meat for the bottom layer.
3. All three layers are the same so the last layer is pasta + sauce + mozzarella + parmesan.
*p.s. my How-To video is coming soon…Reply to this comment
Ethan
August 6, 2014 at 8:03 am
Been waiting for a baked ziti dish from you, Jenny–it’s possibly my favorite comfort food. And the meats make it sound even more delicious. Will there be a video tutorial for this one?
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Jenny
August 7, 2014 at 8:34 pm
In response to reader requests, I will be doing a video soon.
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