I layer my baked ziti like you would a lasagna, so that all the flavors don't mix together too much and become a saucy mess. You can use this recipe as a make ahead option by freezing the casserole until you want to eat it by stopping right before the last step and freezing it before you bake it in the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 eggs
- Italian Seasoning
- 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain
- In a medium bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg and italian seasoning;
- In a 9x13 baking dish, pour about ⅓ of the jar of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the pan. Add half of the cooked ziti on top of the sauce. Add another ⅓ of the sauce on top of the pasta. Then layer ½ the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the pasta, and top with ½ of the mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining half of the pasta on top of the mozzarella, followed by ⅓ of the jar of spaghetti sauce on top, followed by the remaining ricotta mixture. Add the remaining mozzarella on top of the ricotta mixture, and then on top of everything add the with the Parmesan cheese.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
If ziti is completely frozen, cover it with foil and bake for an hour, and then uncover it and continue cooking it for 15 minutes.
