Baked Ziti Tastes Better From Scratch

Looking for more 30-Minute Meals? Try our Salmon Bowls, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Spaghetti Pie, or Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos!

What we LOVE about this recipe:

30-minute meal – This baked ziti with sausage is one of many quick and easy 30 minute recipes that the whole family will enjoy. One-Pot Dinner – Only one pan from start to finish, which makes prep and clean-up a breeze. Adaptable – This recipe can be varied a lot depending on the ingredients you have on hand, like using different kinds of pasta or ground meat, or add in additional veggies.

How to make Baked Ziti:

Brown Sausage: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make Sauce: Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Cook Pasta: Add water and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add Cheese: Stir in the half and half, and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste then sprinkle mozzarella evenly on top. Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 5 minutes. Serve the best baked ziti recipe with a side salad or wedge salad and breadsticks or garlic knots!

Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Follow the directions of making the sauce, up to step 4. Don’t add and cook the noodles, yet. Continue with step 5 just before you want to serve the homemade baked ziti. To Freeze: Prepare the ziti pasta up until the baking step. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or, bake from frozen, covered in foil for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until bubbly and warmed through.

Recipe Variations:

Skillet: You can make it in any type of LARGE skillet, as long as it’s oven proof. A simple cast-iron skillet would work great. Noodles: If you can’t find ziti noodles at the store, buy them online, or substitute penne, farfalle, or another type of bite-size pasta. Meat: We love the flavor of ground sausage but feel free to substitute ground beef, or turkey. Cheese: Substitute any type of shredded cheese if you don’t have mozzarella or parmesan.