Should you undercook ziti before baking?

Yes. You want to cook it just until before it reaches al dente or right at al dente. This baked ziti will continue to cook a bit in the oven and you don't want mushy pasta.

What's the difference between lasagna and baked ziti?

Both contain similar ingredients including pasta, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan and marinara sauce. The biggest difference is lasagna, like my lasagna al forno , is more time consuming with prep and layering each noodle and filling. Baked ziti is stirred together and baked with very little effort and less time.

Should baked ziti be covered in the oven?

Yes, cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil. You can bake for another 5 minutes or broil on high before a crispy cheesy topping. The foil helps the baked ziti to not dry out.

How to Store Baked Ziti:

Leftover baked ziti makes really great leftovers. Store in the casserole dish with plastic wrap, or better yet in sealed containers. It stays good in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, place each individual serving on a cookie sheet and oven bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes until warm or microwave until hot. Serve with extra marinara sauce.

Meatless Baked Ziti - Simply Made Eats

Name: Meatless Baked Ziti
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 lb ziti noodles, dry pasta; 1 egg, whisked; 1 garlic clove, minced; 15 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese; 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded; 1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese; 25 ounce store bought marinara sauce or 1 batch of my homemade marinara sauce; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Description

This Meatless Baked Ziti is so delicious and requires little effort. Plus, it's ready in just 45 minutes. The ziti is tossed in marinara and spices with a combination of parmesan, ricotta and mozzarella then baked to perfection!

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb ziti noodles, dry pasta
1 egg, whisked
1 garlic clove, minced
15 ounce whole milk ricotta cheese
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
25 ounce store bought marinara sauce or 1 batch of my homemade marinara sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Boil the ziti until just al dente or a few minutes before. Strain the pasta water.
Into a large bowl, add half of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Then, add in the egg, ricotta, garlic, and spices. Stir together to combine. Set aside the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese for topping.
Stir in 1 cup of marinara sauce into the cheese filling.
Pour in the pasta and stir to combine. Transfer the ingredients from the bowl into a casserole dish.
Pour over 1/2 cup of marinara sauce.
Top with remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Cover the casserole dish with a piece of tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove tin foil and continue to bake for 5 minutes or broil for a crispy top for 3 to 5 minutes.
Allow the casserole to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Warm up the leftover marinara sauce to serve with the baked ziti.
Slice into squares and enjoy!

Equipment

casserole dish

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Pasta Pot

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Notes

Cook the pasta al dente or a little less (by a few minutes). It will continue to cook in the oven and we don't want mushy pasta.
Serve with additional marinara sauce. The recipe doesn't use a whole bunch of sauce and it soaks into the pasta while baking.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: pasta
Method: baked
Cuisine: Italian