As soon as the weather turns cool, I grab the cozy sweaters and start cooking all the comfort food, like this Easy Baked Ziti recipe. It’s rich and gooey with its layers of pasta, homemade red sauce with Italian sausage, and blend of melty cheeses. It’s total comfort in a bowl. And the best part is that homemade Baked Ziti is not fussy at all. You don’t have to worry about delicate sheet pasta or tedious layering. It’s all the great flavors of lasagna in a freeform delicious casserole!
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“Holy moley…That sauce!!! Obviously this can be made without homemade sauce, but wow, it completely made the dish! I fed my family of seven with this and they cannot stop raving about it. I make Budget Bytes dishes all the time, and there hasn’t been one that I don’t like, but I think this takes the cake for the best recipe I’ve tried. Thank you so much for this!”
Danielle Steel
What Is Baked Ziti?
Baked ziti is a super cozy pasta casserole made with ziti pasta (a smooth tube-shaped pasta), red sauce, and a mix of cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan). It has many of the same ingredients as a classic lasagna, but the structure is much more freeform, making it really fast and easy to make.
Ingredients
Here’s all you’ll need to make our awesome baked ziti recipe:
- Italian Sausage: This recipe starts with a homemade meat sauce that is made with ground Italian sausage. The sausage is stuffed with tons of herbs and spices, which brings a lot of flavor to the dish. You can use hot, mild, or sweet Italian sausage.
- Onion: A little onion cooked down into the red sauce gives it a delicious subtle sweetness.
- Tomato Paste and Crushed Tomatoes: We use two types of canned tomatoes to give the red sauce a rich flavor and texture. The crushed tomatoes create the body of the sauce without being too chunky while concentrated tomato paste thickens the sauce and makes the tomato flavor extra rich.
- Italian seasoning: To keep this recipe simple, we use an Italian seasoning blend to season the sauce rather than several individual herbs and spices.
- Ziti: This is a smooth, tube-shaped pasta that is perfect for this cozy casserole. If you can’t find ziti pasta at your local store, I’ve shared some of my favorite substitutions below!
- Cheese: This hearty pasta casserole contains a blend of several cheeses: ricotta, mozzarella, and a shredded Italian cheese blend.
- Parsley (optional): For extra color, you can top baked ziti with chopped parsley. If you happen to grow basil, you can garnish with chopped basil for extra color and flavor.
Ziti Pasta Substitutions
I usually find ziti down the pasta aisle, but if you can’t find it at your local store, try these substitutions:
- Rigatoni: Rigatoni has a similar shape to ziti but has a ridged texture on the outside.
- Penne: Penne is a tubular-shaped pasta with angled ends and will work just fine in a pinch!
- Mostaccioli: Mostaccioli looks almost identical to penne and is a good substitute if it’s what you have to hand. Although, if that’s the case, I recommend you try our baked mostaccioli recipe instead!
But really, any pasta shape will work in this recipe. I boil the pasta until tender (or al dente) according to the package directions. So, you might need to adjust the boiling time if you choose a thinner or smaller pasta, but any type will work.
Can I Add Vegetables?
Yes! I almost always add extra vegetables to whatever I’m cooking, but today I decided to go with the classic form of Baked Ziti. If I were to add vegetables, I would probably add some fresh spinach into the sauce and stir until it is wilted. Or, roast some broccoli, zucchini, or eggplant, and then toss that into the sauce.
Recipe Tips!
I’ve made this recipe SO many times since I first shared it, and I’ve picked up a few tips along the way (with some of them coming from readers like you!):
- Shop sales + coupons: I always stock up on canned tomatoes when they go on sale. And if you have a coupon? That would make this already budget-friendly recipe even cheaper!
- Make it ahead: This recipe is great for prepping up to 24 hours ahead of time. Assemble as directed, let the pasta and sauce cool, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate. You’ll just need to increase the baking time (while covered with foil) as needed since you’re baking the dish from chilled.
- Bulk ingredients are cheaper: Check the price per unit to see if it’s worth buying in bulk. If I know that I’ll use a lot of something (like dried herbs), then it makes sense to buy in bulk.
- Double the sauce: The amount of sauce in this recipe was more than enough for me, but some readers doubled the sauce for a saucier pasta bake. If you like things extra saucy, then go ahead and double it. I’d still only use the 1lb of ground sausage, though, to keep it budget-friendly.
- Use ground sausage: I use ground Italian sausage because it’s already seasoned and adds great flavor to the dish. You can also use regular Italian sausage in a pinch; just slice open the casings and squeeze the sausage out! Just use whatever you already have or can get the best deal on. :)
What to Serve with Baked Ziti?
Homemade Garlic Bread is awesome with this recipe, but if you want some vegetables on the side I would go with something like Oven Roasted Frozen Broccoli, or a simple side salad.
How to Store the Leftovers
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I highly suggest dividing the leftovers into single servings so they cool quickly in the refrigerator. This recipe makes 8 large servings, so once the servings are cooled completely in the refrigerator, you can transfer a few to the freezer for longer storage. Then each serving is just a quick microwave away from being a filling last-minute dinner!
Easy Baked Ziti
Servings 8Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot) ($4.99)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.27)
- 3 oz. tomato paste ($0.50)
- 1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes ($1.89)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend ($0.30)
- 1/2 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 lb. ziti ($1.67)
- 1/2 Tbsp salt (for pasta water) ($0.05)
- 15 oz. ricotta ($3.39)
- 1 cup Italian cheese blend* ($1.24)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella ($2.29)
- 1 handful chopped parsley (optional, for garnish) ($0.20)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet or pot over medium heat, until it's brown and crispy on the edges (pork sausage contains a lot of fat, so I didn't add any extra to the skillet).
- While the sausage is browning, finely dice the onion. Add the onion to the skillet once the sausage has browned, and continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and ½ cup water to the skillet with the sausage and stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet and allow it to come up to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down and allow it to continue to simmer while you cook the ziti. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers.
- After getting the sauce started, begin the ziti. Bring a large pot of water with ½ Tbsp salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the ziti, and let it continue to boil until tender (about 7-8 minutes). Drain the pasta in a colander. Shake the colander a bit to shake excess water out of the pasta.
- While the pasta and sauce are cooking, prepare the cheese filling. Add the ricotta, Italian cheese blend, and some freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) to a bowl and stir to combine. Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- After draining the ziti, return it to the pot and add 1 cup of the red sauce. Stir to coat the cooked pasta in sauce.
- Pour half of the ziti to a 9×13" baking dish. Add half of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta in small dollops. Finally, spoon half of the red sauce and sausage over the pasta and ricotta. It's okay if the ingredients don't cover in a solid layer. Repeat these layers with the second half of the pasta, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Finally, top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella.
- Cover the baking dish with foil, making sure it's slightly tented so that it doesn't touch or stick to the melted cheese. Transfer the covered casserole to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- After baking for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and turn the oven on to broil (keep the casserole on the middle rack, about 10-12 inches from the broiler). Broil for 5 minutes, or just until the cheese is slightly browned. Keep a close eye on the baked ziti as it broils, because broilers can vary in intensity. Top with chopped parsley, if desired, then serve.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Video
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Baked Ziti – Step by Step Photos
Begin by browning 1 pound Italian sausage in a skillet until it is brown and crispy on the edges. Pork sausage has quite a bit of fat in it on its own, so I didn’t add any extra to the skillet.
While the sausage is browning, finely dice a yellow onion. Add it to the skillet with the browned sausage and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add 3 oz. tomato paste (half of a 6 oz. can – don’t forget to freeze the rest of the can!), 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend, one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, and 1/2 cup water. Stir to combine, place a lid on the skillet, and let it come up to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, while you begin cooking the ziti.
Once the sauce is simmering away, begin cooking the ziti. Bring a large pot of water with 1/2 Tbsp salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 1 lb. ziti. Continue to boil the pasta until tender, then drain in a colander. Shake the colander a bit to shake out the excess water.
While the ziti is boiling and the sauce is simmering, make the ricotta cheese blend. Add 15 oz. ricotta, 1 cup Italian cheese blend, and some freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl. Stir to combine. Also begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF at the time.
After draining the ziti, return it to the pot and add 1 cup of the red sauce. Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Pour half of the sauce coated ziti into a 9×13″ casserole dish. Add half of the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta in small dollops, then add half of the red sauce on top. Don’t worry if the layers don’t cover each other in a solid layer. It doesn’t have to be perfect!
Repeat with a second layer of pasta, ricotta mixture, and sauce, then top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Make sure the foil is slightly tented so it doesn’t touch the cheese and stick when it melts.
After baking for 20 minutes, remove the foil, turn the oven to broil, and return the casserole to the oven (keep it on the middle rack, about 10-12 inches from the broiler). Broil for about 5 minutes, or just until the cheese is brown on top. Keep a close eye as it broils because broilers can vary in intensity.
Garnish with a little chopped parsley, if desired, then serve!
More Pasta Casseroles
This Baked Ziti recipe was originally published 10/16/19. It was updated and republished 12/18/24.
Welcome back Beth.
Almost missed this recipe because the new numbered format is irritating.
You have no idea what the recipe is going to be til you click on it.
The description, easy dinner for a big group doesn’t give me enough info.
To the recipe.
Love it.
I have a very similar recipe that I just made yesterday.
Only difference, I add green peppers & mushrooms.
I don’t add cheese.
And I don’t bake it, just stovetop.
It is delicious and I have been making it for years.
Thanks for this sensible deicious recipe.
Do you have an idea of how many cups of sauce this recipe makes? Sounds yummy but I have a bunch of sauce in my freezer that I need I use, this would be a good way. Thanks! :)
welcome back!
Delicious! I’m making 16x this recipe to serve 100 and it comes to $188.04
This was delicious! I love budget bytes delicious meals consistently and cheap!!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
I must say it was quite an easy recipe, it just takes time to prep and get the final dish in the oven. My family LOVED this dish everyone had seconds. It was un expensive and delish… what else can you ask for. I will be making it again, thanks Beth.
I made the Easy Baked Ziti for dinner last night. It was delicious and easy. I used fresh mozzarella and it worked nicely. I love leftovers.
Please update to say ground sausage (like every other recipe)
I’m using recipes to learn to cook only to learn in the end that I DID IT WRONG because the recipe didn’t specify.
I’m not trying to be rude, but home girl that’s common sense
This was great. Made it without the meat and it was delicious. Thanks!
I love the homemade sauce! I use this recipe regularly, love it!
It was a little dry for me – I think more sauce is needed
Love ALL of your recipes! This one sounds fabulous to make for a family get together.
Would it be okay make this recipe ahead of time? I would like to get it ready, assemble it, cover it, and refrigerate it. I would pull it out on the evening I want to make it and bake per the instructions. Just wondering if you have experience doing that with this recipe. Thanks!
It should be okay, but the only issue you might run into is that you may need to bake for slightly longer because the whole casserole will be chilled when it goes into the oven.
Thank you so much! I appreciate the feedback. Sounds good.
Iam single mom raising kids so my family size is 9 people 2 adults and 7 kids so I am looking 4 easy meals and meals that fill u up 2 thank u
I love this recipe. This time I cut back on the pasta and added zucchini and frozen spinach to the pasta water for two minutes. It’s a wonderful recipe to use to make it your favorite way. Next time, I’ll add mushrooms to the meat sauce. Thanks so much Beth.
Beth I love this recipe, it’s a family favorite.
Thank you for everything you do.
Loved this recipe I only had half the Italian sausage so I used ground turkey and a little olive oil and threw in some black olives and Bella mushrooms and used diced tomatoes!! It looks and tastes amazing!! Thanks for this recipe!!
absolutely amazing!!!
If I have to refrigerate before I bake it, should I cook the ziti noodles? I don’t want them mushy.
Yes, unfortunately that is the only option. Uncooked ziti will not cook through when you bake the casserole.
Hi Beth, hoping to make this on a weeknight and I’m pressed for time. Can this be assembled ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until I’m ready to bake? I love all your recipes, thanks for all you do!
Yes, you can do that! Just keep in mind that if it’s been in the refrigerator then the whole thing will be chilled instead of warm like when you assemble it and bake at the same time, so you may need to bake longer (with the foil) to have it heat all the way through.
Just made this and it was incredible! I doubled the recipe because I was afraid it wouldn’t make enough. I was wrong and froze the 2nd casserole dish. Only thing I’d do differently next time is maybe half the ricotta/cheese mixture. The flavor of the cheese was great, just a bit too rich for me.
Delicious!! We loved it! I thought the sauce was fine . I used 1/2 C chicken broth instead of water .
Made this today. We loved it! We were out of crushed tomatoes and I didn’t realize till we started so I just used basic jars of tomato sauce instead of making some. Still a homerun recipe!
Question: I used hot italian sausage links and slice it. The recipe doesn’t specify anywhere if you should use links and cut them out of the casings or smash them to separate or to use ground sausage (it looks kind of ground in the pics). Usually you always specify so I thought you might want to address that. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi, Colleen! That’s a great point! While you can buy Italian sausage in casings and just remove them to get to the ground meat, you can also purchase ground Italian sausage (without the casings) in shrink-wrapped packages like ground beef or turkey, in most grocery stores’ meat sections! I would suggest keeping an eye out for that next time you make this recipe — it will make it a lot easier (and way less gross) for you next time! I hope that helps! ~Marion :)
For reference: https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-mild-italian-ground-sausage/0001111097272
I followed this recipe exactly. Delicious. I didn’t think it needed more sauce as others have suggested, but more sauce wouldn’t hurt.
It looked delicious when I took it out of the oven, it was tasty but dry. I think I will increase the sauce next time.
What is the 1 cup of Italian Cheese blend that is added to the ricotta and mozzarella?
Italian blend grated cheese contains both grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. XOXO -Monti
I love this recipe because we were able to make it with what we had in the pantry and fridge. We subbed ziti for rigatoni and Italian sausage for ground beef. It was perfect with 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning. We added spinach to the sauce and had garlic bread as a side. It was the perfect dinner for a cold night! My husband and 2 little boys loved it!
You are a very talented person, Beth. Every recipe I’ve tried off this site has been out of this world! This ziti is no different. I used leftover chicken instead of sausage just because that was what I had on hand.
The only thing I would add is more sauce, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a personal preference. People who love sauce like I do, add more.
Agreed. I would double the sauce but keep the sausage at one pound.
This is how I made it. The only other change was adding in spinach into the sauce as Beth suggested! Absolutely delicious.
Made this fantastic Baked Ziti, or in my case, baked Mini Bow tie pasta last night and it turned out tasting fantastically good!
I made a few changes, just to bump up the flavor and because I’d forgotten to get 1 item at the store.
My first change was adding some chopped garlic in when I put the onions in to give it some extra flavor and because I just can’t cook without garlic! Haha I’m a garlic-girl! 2nd change was adding red wine in place of the 1/2 cup of water. Really gave the sauce a rich flavor, and I had it laying around open in my fridge. Lastly for sauce changes is, I just added in the whole 6oz can for a richer tomatoer taste. That sauce was great!
I also used mini bow tie pasta just as a twist and fun shape change.
Now, I read the recipe too fast and didn’t see I was supposed to get 2 types of shredded cheese, so I had to make do and improvise! On this issue, I used a heaping handful of shredded mozzarella, ricotta, parsley, sprinkle of salt and a hefty dose of grated Parmesan cheese in the ricotta mixture. It still turned out great thought!
From then on, I followed the directions. This recipe was fantastic and will be made for sure many, many times again! Thank you for it! Every recipe I’ve tried from Budget Bytes has been an utter smashing success!
Thank you, once again!
Can I freeze this? If so, at what point? Thanks in advance!
I would divide it into single portions after baking and then freeze it that way so you can reheat one portion at a time in the microwave. :)
Thank you!!!
This recipe has been a really special recipe for me.
So I had some leftovers of your Pasta with peas and bacon recipe and used it in this recipe! I needed a bit more pasta, so I did cook some more shells. I mixed some hot Italian sausage with a ground beef patty I had in freezer. Will make again
This might be my favourite pasta recipe on the site. It so good, easy and comforting. It also makes a lot, like 8 large servings. I find that a number of the recipes here tend to be on the small side (for me). This one, I think 10 servings would still be lots for each one. And did I mention it’s incredibly delicious and easy?
Absolutely delicious just as written. Even better the next day! I froze it and it was perfect for lunches to take to work.
Absolutely love this recipe just tried it tonight it is wonderful!! My husband doesn’t eat pork so we got some beef italian meatballs and it was Absolutely amazing
Can I assembled this dish and baked the next day?
I haven’t tested that, but I would think that it should work. You may need to bake slightly longer if everything is chilled from being in the refrigerator.
Delicious. Made this tonight. The directions were so clear. Turned out perfectly. Both my husband and I loved it!
Do you need to drain the sausage after browning?
I did not drain the sausage, but you can if you prefer to. :)
So simple and so good. I really don’t enjoy cooking so this recipe was quick and easy and turned out great. Thanks!
The recipe itself is good and makes quite a nice baked ziti. The real standout for me is the tomato sauce; it’s simple and quick enough to make in lieu of using a container of store-bought and the addition of some crushed garlic added with the onion is always welcome. I also like to use a parmesan chicken sausage cut into half-ring pieces so you get a nice bite of meat with a spoonful of sauce. Quite flavorful and versatile.
Perfect! Thank you! 😊
A few things were unclear to me:
What can be subsitiuted for Ziti pasta? (I chose penne) how much is 1 pound of pasta? (I just used a 350gram box of dry noodles) for the sausage, if i didnt have the pictures, i would have assumed the sausage was to stay in a whole link. (I ended up chopping mine, as it didnt crumble like yours. It was a turkey sausage)
It turned out tasting so yummy!! But just a few clarifications in the directions would be helpful. :)
1 lb. is equal to 454 grams :)
Do you think it will matter in this recipe if I just use the whole can of tomato paste? I hate to have to freeze such a small amount!! Thank you.
Yes, tomato paste is very concentrated so if you double the amount it will definitely change the texture and flavor of the sauce. But this recipe uses half a 6oz. can, so you can just freeze the other half for the next time you make this recipe. :) Or check out tomato paste recipe index for other things you can use it in. :)
Can I use cottage cheese in place of the ricotta? If so, do I have to drain the cottage cheese
I know people often swap cottage cheese for ricotta, but in my opinion, they are just too different. So I think it’s going to be a matter of personal preference. I would definitely drain, though, so things don’t get soupy! :)
I often use cottage cheese in place of ricotta. I run it through my mini food processor first which transforms the texture to something resembling ricotta.
Hello! Thank you for all of your recipes, I pretty much cook them exclusively. I just realized I don’t have a 9×13 casserole dish. What would you recommend as the best substitute? Could I bake this in a 9×13 cake pan? I’ll probably just go out and buy one somewhere today, although most of the (glass, I’m on a budget) ones I see online recommend against broiling. Thanks!
Yes, as long as it’s as deep as a casserole dish and can hold that volume, that will be fine. :)
This is absolutely the best thing we’ve ever eaten. My husband doesn’t usually like Italian, but we’ve been watching The Sopranos reruns and he requested it LOL. I found this recipe and it seemed easy. It WAS so easy, too! And simply delicious! Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe.
This ziti is delicious!!!! This is my new baked ziti recipe
This was wonderful, as is basically every recipe I’ve tried of yours over the years. I am watching my carbs, so I made 2 batches of this. One for my husband following the recipe here to a T, and another for me substituting Pasta Zero in the place of Ziti. I tried his, and both are so good and flavorful. Another hit! Thank you for the many wonderful recipes!
This recipe was delicious! Do you think this freezes well after assembly?
Yes, probably! :)
I made this today and it looked so delicious sitting on the counter waiting to be devoured!! I had 90% of the items on hand, I only had to purchase the cheese. So it was perfect for this wonderful Saturday afternoon!!
I don’t have the sausage so I am using ground beef. I noticed you didn’t add garlic? Can I throw a little in with some red pepper flakes to add a bit off flavor? I hope so cause I already did it. And now worried it won’t come out right. Ugh!!
Thanks for this easy recipe. Keep them coming!!
Absolutely! You can never go wrong with a little garlic and red pepper, IMHO. ;) You’ll probably especially need them since you’re using plain ground beef instead of Italian sausage, which contains a lot of seasoning.
This was delicious! We made it last week. I wanted to cut the recipe in half (a LOT for 2 people!) but was worried about bake times varying. Do you have recommendations for bake time changes if cut in half? Would it freeze well unbaked?
Can I make this ahead of time and then bake it later in the day?
That should work fine. You may need to bake slightly longer if the entire dish is chilled, though.
Great recipe!
This seems like lasagna only a different shape.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I will tweak it a bit but excited to put my masterpiece together.
Is that supposed to be *ground* italian sausage? I bought the only item in my grocery store called italian sausage and it’s links and I don’t know how you get from that to how you have it in your picture
Hi Ari! If you buy the sausage in links, all you have to do is slice open the casing and squeeze the sausage out. :)
Can I use half ground beef and half Italian sausage
Yes, just be aware that the spices in the sausage provide a lot of flavor for the dish, so when you reduce the sausage you’ll also reduce the seasoning.
Ok thank you ……so in your professional advice would you advise I use mild or hot sausage with the ground beef
I think either one will do just fine, it just depends on whether you prefer your food spicy or not. :)
This was amazing!! I did use 2x the meat and got mild itilian ground sausage. Also use a bit more noodles. It can out so good!!
This ziti was delicious (and so, so easy)! I accidentally used twice the ricotta called for, but it turned out perfectly anyway.
Do you think there would be a big taste difference between whole-fat and low-fat ricotta?
Personally I do, yes. I always go for whole fat ricotta. :)
If I wanted to increase the servings, would I just double all the measurements of ingredients?
That’s correct. :) And you can change the number in the “servings” box in the recipe card from 8 to 16 and it will auto adjust all the ingredient amounts for you. Keep in mind that if you are cooking it all in one larger dish, you may need to increase the cooking time slightly.
would a ground meat substitute (i currently have a package of impossible “meat”) work in place of the sausage in this recipe. I LOVE it as it, but im trying to go veg full time.
Yes, but look for one that is specifically a substitute for Italian sausage because all the herbs and spices in the sausage are what give the dish its flavor. :)
Great, thank you! Beyond has a really good hot italian sausage subsitute.
Wondering if you ended up making it with the beyond meat and how it turned out?
I love ricotta, but the husband, not so much. What about cottage cheese as a substitute?
Cottage cheese is a great substitute!
Best baked ziti recipe IMO. Beth’s way of just dolloping the cheese mix in layers worked out so well. I like that this recipe didn’t contain egg because I think egg actually makes this dish dry and the ricotta gritty.
I subbed a tiny can of tomato sauce for the tomato paste and I must say the sauce came out brighter. I also baked this for like 45 minutes; 20 minutes seemed too short. The photos were social media worthy!
yummy recipes, i tried the recipes it came out well.
I tried this and it turned out great! There was a lot of it, so I ended up having to divide it into two different dishes.
First time making this! It’s a great recipe! I used One pound of ground beef and about half a pound of hot Italian sausage. I will say the only thing is the recipe does not say to add salt and pepper to the sauce, so I’d suggest adding some like I did cause I tried the sauce and it was bland. Other than that, this was a great recipe and will definitely make it again.
This is better than my mom’s, and she is a great cook. Made it for the third time during quarantine, but the first time with actual ziti noodles (the first two times with whole wheat penne). It BARELY fits in my fiesta casserole dish and snugly fits in my 9×13 pyrex. I’m a cheese addict but I think only 1c of mozz is ok on top and prefer to just use all italian blend because then its one bag :) Today I added the last of my mustard greens from the garden, odds and ends of leftover salad greens, and a few leaves of kale to the sauce. Super delicious!!
Holy moley…That sauce!!! Obviously this can be made without homemade sauce, but wow, it completely made the dish! I fed my family of seven with this and they cannot stop raving about it. I make Budget Bytes dishes all the time, and there hasn’t been one that I don’t like, but I think this takes the cake for the best recipe I’ve tried. Thank you so much for this!
Hi there! I’m holding you’ll see this! But I was wondering if there is another pasta you would recommend other than ziti? I know I know the recipe is called backed ziti, but we’re in troubling times with being quarantined and the earthquakes that hit Utah today. I have all the ingredients besides ziti pasta and sausage. I do have Cavatappi Pasta and wagyu beef and was hoping to use that?! TIA!
Glad to hear you are safe Kamisha! You can use what you have on hand in these circumstances :)
Hello! Have you tried making this a day in advance? I’m hosting a gathering of 15 people and planned to make it ahead of time.
Yes it would be just fine to bake ahead. Enjoy!
This sounds wonderful and I plan to make it for my family. I find traditional lasagna too labor-intensive. A question: If I only have one oven, how would I serve garlic bread with it?
While the ziti is cooling you could do the garlic bread. Or you could make it ahead too!
I also wasn’t able to fit all of the ingredients in the baking dish, so a good cup of pasta went in the trash, and even then it just barely fit. Was really good though! I thought it could use some salt, but my guy liked it the way it was.
Just a tip, but if you end up with too much pasta for the dish, you can always just set it aside in a container for another dish, or simply make a sauce to go with it and make that your dinner for the day. I hope you didn’t literally throw it into the trash.
Made this and it turned out wonderful. Didn’t have a big enough baking dish for all of it, but split it between two and it still came out great.
This layering method produces a great baked ziti. Pretty much followed the recipe except for using boca crumbles as a ground beef substitute.
Made this tonight, and it was SO GOOD. I left the mozzarella off half, because I’m planning on freezing it (once it cools I’ll add the mozzarella on top then freeze!). I added chopped spinach like you suggested, and next time I’ll add more!
Wanted to update: I froze in one cup portions. It freezes SO well. I take a portion and leave it in the fridge the night before I eat it. Perfect.
I was blown away but how delicious this was. This might be my new go to instead of my traditional lasagna. Serving size was quite large, which just means more delightful leftovers for me.
Hooray for tasty and comforting leftovers! :)
Planing to freeze this but wondering about reheating. Should I leave in the fridge for a day or reheat from frozen for best results?
It’s up to you and the time you have. I like to let mine thaw in the fridge before for more even reheating.
THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS. THANKS FOR THE RECIPE!
You’re welcome Lauren!
Do you think I could sub cooked brown lentils for half the Italian sausage to stretch the meet out a bit? I would imagine I could season it a bit more to make up for the flavors.
Yes I think that could work great.
Made this last week. Fabulous! To satisfy my vegetarian husband, I left out the sausage and added a finely diced bell pepper and a can of fire roasted tomatoes to fill it out. Didn’t need the water since the juice from the tomatoes added enough liquid. Used a box of mini penne that I had on the shelf. Ate off it all week and it just got better! Reheats in the microwave very well. Will definitely be using this recipe again over the winter months. Thanks for another great one Beth.
Yum! Thanks Jennifer!
I’m vegetarian as well so I used Tofurky italian sausage. Field Roast company has a good meatless italian sausage as well.
I used the Field Roast brand Italian sausage. Whether or not to add any of the Italian Seasoning blend definitely depends on the sausage. The Field Roast Italian sausage adds a great flavor to the sauce as it simmers without any Italian Seasoning blend added in. I have made it twice now and definitely preferred it without the spice blend given the seasoning the sausage added.
Good to know Denise! Thank you for sharing!
This came out great!! Added garlic to the sauce, used chicken sausage in a frail attempt to be a little more healthy, and used fresh made ricotta. Froze half, can’t wait to eat the rest!
Yum! Thanks Jules!
I made this for supper last night and it was delicious! Can’t wait for the leftovers this week.
Thank you Riki!
I made this almost exactly as written, but I doubled it (2 pans) and added fresh garlic to the sauce. It was a HUGE hit at our church small group, and very budget friendly. Thank you so much!
Hungry college student here. I stumbled upon your videos on IG by coincidence, so I went to your website to see what else you had. Saw this recipe on the front page and just HAD to try it. Made it on Thursday, it’s now Sunday and I still have leftovers that I’ve been eating! Saved me a lot of time since it’s currently Mid-Term exams week here and I don’t have time to look for recipes every night. Thank you so very much from a hungry, busy (and broke) college student! Defo will be trying more of your recipes, I have 5 bookmarked already :) xx
Happy you’re here! Good luck on exams!
Great recipe! Been making this for awhile now. I dont go to the T on the recipe but pretty close. I add 3 cloves minced garlic to the sauce and dash of red pepper. The ricotta I use the whole container, and add fresh chopped basil to it. I prefer to spread the layer of ricotta than dollops. And I dont broil. I bake for 20 covered and 20 uncovered. Comes out golden and well done everytime. Never falls apart and never dry. Thank you for the recipe.
This was the first time I’d made my own sauce, and holy cow. It was so good. I used some penne I already had in my pantry that I got on sale for a buck (!!) and some cheese I had. I’m so excited to have this for my lunches this week!
Great work Lauren!
Would it be possible to substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta? I have a large tub of cottage cheese on hand at the moment and would love to have some savory ways to use it!
Oh yes for sure! I’ve done that often.
Looks absolutely delicious! One question about the ziti, though. The recipe states to boil the pasta until it’s tender. Won’t the additional cooking in the oven make the noodles mushy?
You should be just fine following the recipe :)
I baked for 45 minutes and undercooked the pasta by a few minutes when boiled. I think it gave it the “baked” results.
I used chorizo flavored seitan crumbles in place of the sausage and added some extra Italian herb blend to the sauce, and it worked perfectly! I also added a bit of fresh spinach to the sauce to up the veggie content, and it mixed right in. It’s always great to have lunch for the week, plus some extra to freeze. :)
Oh that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing Beth!
When I saw this recipe posted, I had to make immediately! We have really enjoyed it this week, and I am looking forward to it for my lunch this afternoon!
Happy to hear it Jen!
Do you drain the sausage before adding the onion?
No you don’t have to, the drippings will help sauté the onions. Enjoy!
Looks delicious! I never would have thought of putting sausage in a Lasanga before.
Thanks Amanda!
Looks so good! (It’s getting cold where I am) Do you have any tips for freezing this? Should it be frozen before or after baking for best results?
Hi Monica! Yes you can do either depending on your preference. You could freeze before baking and then put in the fridge a few days before cooking to thaw and then bake. Or you could bake it before and freeze in portions and just reheat. Enjoy!