Baked Ziti

Name: Baked Ziti Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 pound Ziti ((or penne or rigatoni)); 1 pound ground Italian sausage; 1 pound ground beef; 1 Tablespoon minced garlic; 1 onion ((finely diced)); 24 ounces marinara sauce; 14 ounces crushed tomatoes; ¼ cup heavy cream; 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning; ½ teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 3 cups Mozzarella cheese ((12 ounces)); 1 cup Parmesan cheese

By Laura

Posted Nov 30, 2025

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This baked ziti recipe is hearty, cheesy, and packed with rich Italian flavor. Ziti pasta is mixed with a delicious sauce containing Italian sausage and ground beef, then topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese and baked to bubbly perfection.

Baked Ziti in a baking dish garnished with parsley, a spoon is taking a scoop out of the dish

This baked ziti recipe is a hearty and delicious meal that’s easy enough to make for a quick weeknight dinner, and impressive enough to serve to a crowd!

I really love making baked ziti for guests because I can assemble it in advance and pop it in the oven when I know they’re on their way.

It’s such a great meal to feed a lot of people, especially when served with a delicious salad and a side of homemade no knead bread or homemade french bread.

Baked Ziti on a plate garnished with parmesan cheese and parsley, with a fork

Baked Ziti with Sausage: Ingredients & Substitutions

the labeled ingredients in this Baked Ziti recipe like ziti pasta, ground beef, sausage, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce and tomatoes.

Ziti Pasta. Ziti noodles are smooth, tube-shaped pasta that are slightly longer and wider than penne. Any tubular noodles work well such as penne, and rigatoni.
Ground beef. Use 85% lean ground beef for the best results.
Italian sausage. choose your favorite, mild, spicy, etc.
Marinara sauce. choose your favorite variety, or make your own homemade marinara sauce.
Crushed tomatoes. I prefer crushed to diced because I believe it gives the dish a better texture. If you only have diced tomatoes, pulse them in a blender for 2-5 seconds.
Heavy cream. half and half and whole milk are good substitutes.
Mozzarella. use shredded for best results.

Baked Ziti in a white baking dish garnished with parsley, a spoon is taking a scoop out of the dish

How to Make Baked Ziti

Let’s walk through how to make baked ziti together, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and cooking the ziti pasta in salted water according to the package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, drain the noodles but do not rinse.

Cooked ziti pasta in a white saucepan, a serving spoon is picking up 3 noodles

Cooked ziti pasta in a white colander sitting on a countertop.

While the ziti is cooking, make the sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, cook the sausage, ground beef, minced garlic and onion in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir often and break up the meat as you go, until the meat is no longer pink and it begins to lightly brown.

Making baked ziti - onion, garlic, Italian sausage, and ground beef in a white saucepan

Making baked ziti - onion, garlic, Italian sausage, and ground beef in a white saucepan, cooked and being stirred with a wooden spoon

Once the meat is lightly browned and no longer pink, add the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Making baked ziti - marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning are added to a saucepan

Making baked ziti - ingredients are in a white saucepan and being mixed together with a wooden spoon

Then, stir the cooked ziti pasta into the sauce.

Making baked ziti - cooked ziti pasta is added to saucepan with the prepared sauce.

Making baked ziti - cooked ziti pasta is added to saucepan with the prepared sauce, and ingredients are being stirred together with a wooden spoon.

Next, spread the baked ziti mixture into a 9×13″ baking dish (glass or ceramic preferred) and top with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Making baked ziti - cooked ziti and sauce are poured into a white casserole dish and spread out evenly.

Making baked ziti - cooked ziti and sauce are poured into a white casserole dish and topped with mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just barely begins to brown along the edges.

Remove the baked ziti from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving warm.

Making baked ziti - cooked ziti and sauce in a white casserole dish and topped with mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese.

Baked ziti presented in a white casserole dish.

Serve

Serve this baked ziti recipe warm garnished with chopped fresh parsley and grated parmesan cheese.

We love serving it with some of our favorite Italian recipes like panzanella salad, bruschetta and of course, tiramisu for dessert.

Baked ziti in a white casserole dish topped with fresh herbs, being served with a wooden spoon.

Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container (preferably oven-safe) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Reheat covered in the oven set to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees celsius) until warmed through.

Freeze

You can also freeze the entire dish. I suggest assembling the baked ziti in an oven-safe dish, then covering it with foil and freezing it before baking.

Then, to bake from frozen – cover the frozen ziti with foil, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees celsius) until heated through (about 45 minutes to 1 hour).

Close-up photo of baked ziti topped with fresh herbs, served on a white speckled plate with a fork.

Baked Ziti Recipe FAQS

Do you cook the pasta before baking ziti?

Yes, the ziti pasta is boiled until al dente in salted water, then drained and used in this recipe.

Can I make baked ziti ahead of time?

Yes, this recipe is very easy to make ahead. You can assemble it up to a day in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Then, when you’re ready to cook and serve, add 10–15 minutes to the baking time if chilled.

Can baked ziti be frozen?

I suggest assembling the baked ziti in an oven-safe dish, then covering it with foil and freezing it before baking.

What kind of cheese goes in baked ziti?

This recipe uses mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Can I use penne or rigatoni instead of ziti?

Yes, both pasta varieties work well in place of Ziti if you can’t find it.

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