Baked Ziti with Three Cheeses

Ziti pasta has its origins in Campania and Sicily in southern Italy. In the Sicilian language, the term ziti (plural of zita and zitu) means bride and groom. Traditionally, this long tubular pasta is served as a prima course at Sicilian weddings. Another typical Sicilian dish is pasta al forno, a baked casserole with pasta, tomato sauce and cheese.

Southern Italian immigrants, who came to North America in the last century, evolved these culinary traditions into a variety of distinctly Italian American dishes. One such dish is baked ziti or ziti al forno. While you’re sure to find it in Little Italy or at an Italian American restaurant chain, tonight you’ll be dining in.

How to make baked ziti

Pasta options

Ziti is sold in full 10-inch lengths and is broken up before cooking this dish. If you can’t find ziti at your local grocery store, it can be substituted for other tubular pastas. These may include bucantini, rigatoni, mostaccioli, or pennoni (large quills), pennine (small quills), penne lisce (smooth), penne rigate (with ridges).

Cooking tip – To prevent the pasta from being too mushy after baking, boil it al dente, or slightly under-cooked, before mixing it in with the other ingredients. Use the suggested cooking time on the pasta’s packaging as a guide. Be sure to save at least a half cup of the pasta water. Add this with the tomato sauce to ensure there is enough liquid in the mixture for baking. The starchy pasta water also helps the sauce adhere to the pasta.

Tomatoes and seasonings

Since the cheesy flavours should have priority in this dish, the other ingredients shouldn’t overpower. So that’s why I like to keep the tomatoes and seasonings simple. Start with some fresh crushed garlic heated in a little butter. Next, stir in the tomatoes, the tomato sauce and the other seasonings.

For the tomatoes, fresh chopped, canned diced or chopped whole stewed tomatoes all work. For the sauce, use something plain like passata, plain crushed tomatoes or unseasoned tomato sauce. Add some salt, black pepper and chili flakes to spice the dish to your taste preference.

If you have a well-stocked spice rack, then you can add your own blend of dried herbs. Most Italian herb blends include basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. Otherwise, a simple store-bought Italian herb blend does the trick.

Italian cheese trio

For best results, use Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella cheese that you grate yourself. Ricotta is a soft light whey cheese that spreads like a fluffy sour cream. It works best in this recipe by spreading it over a layer of the pasta and sauce mixture. Add the other cheeses to this layer as well, then make a second layer of pasta and sauce.

If you like a well-browned cheese topping, then bake the dish with the mozzarella on top for the full cooking time. However, if you prefer a melted stringy mozzarella that is not browned, then only add the cheese topping 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.

Serving Suggestions

While this baked ziti recipe is meatless, meat-lovers can enjoy the dish as a side with Italian cured meats, sausage or meat balls. This dish also goes well with a salad or grilled Italian vegetables.

Baked Ziti with Three Cheeses

Kevin Lamoureux

Use any tubular pasta for this this simple pasta and cheesedish. Blend with tomatoes, seasonings and layer with Parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella then bake.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6

Calories 259 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 10 oz ziti or penne pasta about 2 cups
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1½ cups tomato sauce passata or marinara
• ½ cup pasta water
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• ½ tsp chili pepper flakes
• ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese divided

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 400℉. Butter or apply cooking spray to a 2 ½ to 3-quart baking dish.
• Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain, but keep ½ cup of the pasta water.
• In a large pot, melt the butter then heat the garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
• Stir in the diced tomatoes followed by the tomato sauce, seasonings and salt.
• Stir in the pasta and the ½ cup pasta water.
• Add half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the baking dish then spread the parmesan, ricotta and half the mozzarella over this layer. Make a second layer and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Garnish with fresh parsley.

Nutrition

Per serving

Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Iron: 1.5mg

Keyword baked, pasta

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