Easy Baked Ziti

Chiara Manni
Mom of one human and one furry baby. Career in tech in the California Bay Area, but born and raised in Italy. Foodie at heart.
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Updated: 8/5/2020

A perfect potluck pasta dish!

Prep: 10 min Cook: 1 hr
Serves: 10 Save

Ingredients (18)

  • Sauce:
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Pasta:
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 1/2 pound ziti or other short pasta (such as penne, medium shells or rigatoni)
  • 2 (15-ounce) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella or Provolone cheese

Directions

  1. To prepare sauce, heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add salt, sugar and pepper.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  3. Cook ziti about 3 minutes less than the package directions indicate. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup of cooking water.
  4. Place pasta, ricotta, salt, garlic powder, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and half the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a large mixing bowl. Stir to mix, diluting with a few spoons of pasta cooking water until creamy. Add tomato sauce and mix. Place in baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella and remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Cover with foil and bake 30 to 45 minutes, until thoroughly heated. Remove foil during last 10 minutes of cooking time to brown.