Baked Ziti (Ziti al forno)

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I stole this recipe for Baked Ziti (Ziti al forno) from a cookbook called Lidia’s Italy in America. Two layers of noodles, cheeses and sauce make up this cheesy and saucy dish. Cooked ziti is placed in a casserole pan and topped with mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Ricotta cheese is added to your favorite marinara sauce and that is poured on top. Then a ziti, cheeses and sauce layer is repeated again. Everything is baked in the oven to finish.

October 6th is National Noodle Day (to see more Food Holidays click National Food Holidays); you can celebrate by making this noodle dish of Baked Ziti.

Did you know? Ziti means “bridegrooms” in Italian. This pasta shape is a relatively thin tube ranging in length from 2 to 12 inches.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)

Drain 1 lb fresh ricotta.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring water to boil, add ziti. Cook until just al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 5 cups marinara sauce to simmer in a large skillet. Add in ricotta and 9 fresh shredded basil leaves.

Gently stir to combine.

Spread ½ cup of sauce in bottom of 15×10 casserole dish. Layer half of the ziti on top.

Sprinkle with ½ lb mozzarella cubes and ½ cup provolone.

Pour 2 cups of sauce over cheese, spread in even layer. Top with rest of pasta, spread 2 cups sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses, and dollop with remaining ½ cup sauce.

Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Let dish rest 5 minutes before serving.

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Baked Ziti

Two layers of noodles, cheeses and sauce make up this cheesy and saucy dish. Cooked ziti is placed in a casserole pan and topped with mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Ricotta cheese is added to your favorite marinara sauce and poured on top. Then a ziti, cheese and sauce layer is repeated again. Everything is baked in the oven to finish.

Course Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ziti
  • 5 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 lb fresh ricotta drained
  • 9 fresh basil leaves shredded
  • 1 lb low moisture mozzarella cut into ¼ inch cubes
  • 1 cup shredded provola

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Bring water to boil, add ziti. Cook until just al dente, about 10-12 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring marinara sauce to simmer in a large skillet. Stir in ricotta and basil leaves.
  3. Spread ½ cup of sauce in bottom of 15x10 casserole dish. Layer half of the ziti on top. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cubes and provola. Pour 2 cups of sauce over cheese, spread in even layer. Top with rest of pasta, spread 2 cups sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses, and dollop with remaining ½ cup sauce.
  4. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Let dish rest 5 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

I only cook the ziti for 5 minutes, since it will keep cooking in the oven and I didn’t want the noodles to get too soggy. Instead of provola cheese I use provolone cheese which is similar in taste and easier for me to find. You can assemble ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Bake 15 minutes covered with foil, then uncover and bake 20 minutes.