Description
A comforting baked pasta dish made with tender ziti, rich marinara sauce, creamy ricotta, and bubbly melted mozzarella, baked until golden and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 450 g ziti pasta
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 1 ½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190°C and lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil.
- Cook the ziti pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain well.
- In a mixing bowl, combine marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Spread a thin layer of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Add half of the cooked ziti, then top with half of the sauce mixture, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Repeat the layers with the remaining pasta, sauce, and cheeses.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes until bubbly and lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh basil, rest briefly, then serve.
Notes
- Cook pasta just until al dente to avoid a mushy texture.
- Let the baked ziti rest for 10 minutes before serving for cleaner slices.
- Freshly shredded mozzarella melts more smoothly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
Keywords: baked ziti, baked ziti with mozzarella, vegetarian pasta bake, cheesy pasta casserole, oven baked pasta