Baked Ziti Recipe - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

Should I cook baked ziti covered or uncovered? ›

Should I cover Baked Ziti while it's baking? Yes. Cover loosely with foil so it doesn't stick to the cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil so the cheese can go bubbly and golden!

Oven. To reheat baked ziti that has been refrigerated, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Again, if it is in a glass dish, be sure that the glass has come to room temperature first to avoid cracking. Cover the oven-safe dish with aluminum foil and bake for around 35-45 minutes.

Not feeling the salad? Skip it, or opt for a simple veggie side dish instead. Roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, and sautéed green beans would all be great choices.

Mix all the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella with the ziti. Spray a 13x9 pan with Pam. Cover the bottom half of the pan with about half the sauce. Put the ziti mixture on top of sauce.

I always add a lot of sauce and that helps prevent the dried out top layer. Take out of the oven as soon as cheese is melted and golden. It's also important to make sure all pasta is covered with sauce.

Layering is important (but easy!)

It bakes up golden-brown — the hallmark of a good pasta casserole. Make sure there is enough sauce to use as a layer at the top, under the mozzarella. This will insulate the pasta and keep it from drying out.

(You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.

Oftentimes, baked ziti can end up watery if the tomato sauce isn't thick enough. Luckily this recipe calls for the tomato sauce to simmer on the stove along with the ground beef and onion. Doing this will help to get rid of some of the extra water in the sauce.

Baked ziti should not sit out longer than 2 hours after baking because that is when bacteria will start to grow. Refrigerate as soon as cooled.

Bake, uncovered, 350°F until lightly browned and bubbly, 60 to 70 minutes. Cover with foil if the top browns before the inside is fully heated. Freezing and reheating a baked ziti: Bake, covered with foil, at 350°F. (Make sure you remove any plastic wrap first.)

What is the difference between ziti and penne ziti? ›

While both cuts are slender tube shapes, ziti has straight-cut ends, making it look like a short straw. Penne comes in smooth and ridged varieties, but always feature angled ends (cut in a diagonal line).

Add a Drizzle of Sauce or Butter

Even if you use a microwave (or even a skillet), there are ways to supercharge reheated pasta. If you hit your pasta with a glug of good olive oil, you'll let your pasta and sauce better express themselves. (This is also a great move for pasta that isn't leftover!)

Mascarpone: Another Italian cheese, mascarpone makes a great ricotta substitute. However, since mascarpone is more tart and flavorful, you should only use it in dishes with other strong flavors.

For extra creamy ricotta, add in an extra egg, a handful of grated parmesan, and a quarter cup of shredded mozzarella. Eggs help prevent the ricotta from drying out and serve to bind the ricotta so it doesn't become runny. One or more eggs are recommended whether you add the other ingredients mentioned here or not.

Baked Ziti is a popular Italian-American dish that is not commonly found in Italy. It is a casserole-style pasta that typically consists of ziti pasta, tomato sauce, cheese (usually a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan), and added ingredients like meat or vegetables.

Bake, uncovered, 350°F until lightly browned and bubbly, 60 to 70 minutes. Cover with foil if the top browns before the inside is fully heated. Freezing and reheating a baked ziti: Bake, covered with foil, at 350°F. (Make sure you remove any plastic wrap first.)

Leaving the pot uncovered is also key because pasta should be stirred frequently to prevent sticking. Plus, because pasta should be cooked until al dente, a lid will make it hard to decipher how far along you are in the process, and might even lead to mushy noodles, which is the last thing you want.

I boil my pasta to just under a minute of “al dente” and then after my layering it typically bake it uncovered because I want the crusty cheese on top.

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, this homemade lasagna should be perfectly baked in about 50 minutes (30-40 minutes covered, 5-10 minutes uncovered).