Baked Ziti

Method

1. Make the meat sauce by browning the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small crumbles. Cook for 6-8 minutes until well-browned. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Cook the ziti 3 minutes short of al dente in heavily salted water. Drain well.

3. Mix the ricotta with the egg, half the mozzarella, and the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. This mixture should be thick and scoopable.

4. Assemble by spreading 1/3 of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add half the pasta. Dollop half the ricotta mixture in spoonfuls over the pasta. Add another 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat with remaining pasta, ricotta, and sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella.

5. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown in spots. If the top isn't browning enough, broil for 2 minutes.

6. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve with garlic bread and a simple salad.

Equipment

• 9x13 baking dish
• Large pot for pasta
• Large skillet Recommended: Joyce Chen 14-Inch Carbon Steel Wok

Chef Notes

• The most important thing: Cook the pasta 3 minutes short of al dente — even shorter than usual. It finishes cooking in the oven and absorbs sauce as it bakes. Fully cooked pasta turns to mush after 25 minutes in a 375°F oven.
• Mix the ricotta with an egg before layering. The egg helps the ricotta set during baking so you get distinct pockets of creamy cheese instead of a watery mess.
• Use whole-milk ricotta, not part-skim. The fat content makes it creamier and richer. Part-skim ricotta is grainy and watery.
• Don't skimp on the mozzarella on top. The golden, bubbly cheese crust is the best part. Use low-moisture mozzarella — fresh mozzarella releases too much water.
• Let it rest 10 minutes after baking. The sauce thickens and the layers set, making it easier to serve clean portions.

Common Substitutions

Ingredient	Substitution	Notes
Italian sausage	Ground beef or turkey	Less flavorful — add 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Ricotta	Cottage cheese, blended smooth	Different texture but works — blend until smooth
Ziti	Penne or rigatoni	Any tube pasta works — ridged is better
Mozzarella	Provolone	Sharper flavor, still melts well
Meat sauce	Marinara (vegetarian)	Skip the sausage — use a good jarred marinara

What You're Practicing

Baked ziti teaches you layered casserole construction — the same technique behind lasagna, moussaka, and enchiladas. Understanding how to layer starch, sauce, and cheese so each component cooks properly (pasta absorbs sauce, cheese melts and browns, ricotta sets) is a skill that applies to dozens of baked dishes. Visit Techniques for more.

The ricotta-egg mixture teaches you about using eggs as a binder in baked dishes. The egg proteins set during baking, turning the ricotta from a loose, wet cheese into a firm, scoopable layer. This same technique appears in quiche, frittata, and any baked dish where you need a custard-like set.