Classic Baked Ziti Recipe

If you're like recipe developer Michelle McGlinn and love adding ricotta to pasta dishes, then this is the recipe for you. This classic (and never dry) baked ziti is loaded with an abundance of flavors, from the Italian sausage to the tangy tomato sauce, and of course, the delicious, silky ricotta. "Ricotta is ever-so-slightly sweet and so, so creamy," McGlinn explains. "After baking, the ricotta gets super gooey, so the pasta is cheesy and melty all the way through."

As if McGlinn's description wasn't tempting enough, there are plenty of other things to love about this recipe. For starters, this is a great recipe to feed a crowd, but if you're making it for yourself or just one other person, you'll enjoy leftovers all week long. The prep time here is pretty minimal, and once you get past some basic cooking steps, you can count on the oven to handle it from there. The result is a large-and-in-charge pasta dish that has so much flavor, depth, and texture, you'll be going back for seconds — and maybe even thirds! 

The first thing you'll want to do is preheat the oven to 350 F, then cook the pasta. Follow the package's instructions for boiling the pasta, but be sure to cook it just shy of al dente — typically about 2 minutes less than the package's cook time. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and set it aside.

Now, it's time to focus on the sausage. Place either a deep skillet or Dutch oven on your stovetop over medium heat, then add the Italian sausage and allow it to brown. The more it cooks, the easier it will be to crumble and break down. Once the sausage finishes cooking, remove it from the skillet using a slotted spoon so all of the grease remains.

Finish up the sauce by mixing in the tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked sausage back into the pan, followed by the cooked pasta. Stir those ingredients in, then fold in the ricotta, allowing it to incorporate into the sauce. McGlinn notes that this will turn your sauce into a rosy pink color.

All that's left to do is serve and enjoy your classic baked ziti! Top the dish off with fresh parsley if you like, then portion it out onto individual plates. Because this is such a "heavy dish" (McGlinn's words), she recommends keeping the sides light and serving this alongside a leafy green salad or fresh vegetables. Okay, and some buttery garlic bread to soak up all of the creamy, savory sauce.

While this dish tastes wonderful straight from the oven, you can easily store leftovers. "The fully baked ziti lasts for up to a week in the fridge and is very easy to reheat as portions in the microwave or in the casserole dish in the oven," McGlinn explains. She also notes that you could start the dish (up until adding the ricotta), then freeze it in individual portions. Once thawed, mix in the ricotta and top with cheese right before baking.