How to Make Baked Ziti

This ziti recipe is cheesy and delicious, brought to you by Christina Gallary.

Servings: 8-10 Cook Time: About 55 minutes

Ingredients

01: Heat oven to 375°F
02: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; begin the sauce in the meantime
03: Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, some salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 12 minutes)
04: Add the marinara and 1 teaspoon salt, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat
05: Once the water boils, add pasta and cook until just tender
06: Make the ricotta filling: stir the ricotta, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and salt together in a small bowl; set aside
07: When the pasta is done, drain in a colander
08: Return the pasta to the now-empty pot. Add half of the sauce (about 3 cups) and stir until the pasta is well coated; add salt and pepper as needed
09: Add the ricotta mixture to the pasta and fold it in, leaving big pockets of ricotta here and there
10: Transfer half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta in an even layer
11: Pour remaining sauce over pasta and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top
12: Bake uncovered until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is completely melted and browned in spots (about 30 minutes)
13: When finished, place on wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before serving

Variations: Feel free to add 2 cups of cooked vegetables or a pound of cooked ground meat or sausage to the sauce
Split it up: You can make this dish in two 8x8 inch baking pans instead!
Freezing: You can freeze baked ziti for up to 2 months in the baking dish- just let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil first. Bake straight from the freezer covered with foil for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.