Creamy Baked Ziti is a simple and delicious baked pasta dish that never fails to please. This easy baked ziti recipe is extra creamy and cheesy! Everything bakes together into something so tasty…the comfort food recipe ever!
Best Easy Baked Ziti
This pasta is the best ever! It’s the creamiest, cheesiest baked recipe…something I can never resist!
If you love pasta and cheese, then this recipe is about to be one of your favorites! I can’t resist cheesy pasta in any form, and this just might be the best pasta dish for easy dinners.
One of the many great things about this dish is that EVERYONE will love it. Without exaggeration, I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying this. Pasta covered in a creamy sauce and baked with tons of cheese…yum! I’ll gladly eat this every night until it’s gone.
As with any good casserole, this recipe is really easy to make ahead of time, and really easy to save leftovers for later. So there’s never a reason to let this cheesy ziti go to waste! If you need a dinner that’s simple yet delicious, then this is exactly what you need!
This Easy Baked Ziti recipe is the BEST ziti I’ve ever tasted. Make it at home tonight and you’ll see what I mean!
So what makes this the best baked ziti recipe? A lot of recipes use ricotta cheese, but I’m going to let you in on a secret. The thing that makes this recipe sooooo creamy and amazing is cream cheese! You cook the cream cheese directly into the marinara sauce, which adds even more cheesy goodness into this pasta.
What ingredients do you need?
This easy baked ziti recipe really is simple. There’s just a few ingredients (pasta, sauce, cheese, check!) and a few steps between you and a creamy, cheesy baked pasta dish!
Ingredients:
- Ziti
- Marinara Sauce
- Cream Cheese
- Mozzarella
- Parmesan
- Basil
Can I use penne or do I have to use ziti pasta?
You can substitute penne in this recipe if you don’t have ziti, although it shouldn’t be hard to find. They have the same basic shape, so it won’t make too much of a difference. Penne is typically smaller than ziti.
How to Make Easy Baked Ziti – Step by Step
This is just about the easiest recipe out there! Just like any casserole, it’s so easy to throw this baked pasta dish together for dinner.
- Boil the pasta according to package instructions and drain.
- Heat the marinara sauce and cream cheese in a saucepan, combining them into one sauce.
- Add the pasta into the pot of sauce and stir it all together, so that the ziti is well covered.
- Pour half of the ziti & sauce into the prepared casserole dish, then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan.
- Pour the rest of the ziti into the dish and top with the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan.
- Cover the casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes at 375°F. Then remove the lid, and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
Simple as that! It comes out creamy, cheesy, hot, and bubbly. Just so darn good! Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and you can easily freeze the rest for another time.
Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full recipe.
Can I make ziti casserole ahead of time?
Yes! This is a great dish to make ahead of time. Just follow the recipe as is, but don’t bake it yet. Instead, cover the ziti in the casserole dish and refrigerate it until ready to serve. It can be made up to 2 days ahead of baking.
When you want to serve it, let the ziti sit out while the oven preheats. Then just follow the rest of the baking instructions. Cover and bake at 375°F, then bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
Vegetarian Baked Ziti (No Meat)
The base recipe for this dish is meat free! So if you’re looking for a vegetarian ziti recipe, just follow the recipe card as is. This is one of the great pasta dishes that doesn’t need meat to be incredibly delicious. It’s perfectly creamy, cheesy, and flavorful with just marinara sauce (and cheese, duh).
Pasta with Meat
That being said, if you prefer your baked ziti with meat, that’s easy to accommodate! Again, just follow the recipe as is, but add in Italian sausage, ground beef, chicken, or your favorite meat sauce. It’s easy to just cook up some ground beef to mix in with the marinara, and then mix that into the pasta. Meat or no meat, this is the best comfort food recipe and everyone will love it!
You and your family are going to LOVE this easy baked ziti recipe. So cheesy and creamy…there’s nothing not to love!
See the recipe card below for details on how to make this recipe. Enjoy!
If you like this recipe, try these other easy pasta recipes:
- Chicken Alfredo Pasta Bake
- One Pan Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
- Caprese Pasta Bake
- Baked Pasta Primavera with Cream Cheese Alfredo
- One Pot Chicken Alfredo Skillet
- Creamy White Chicken Lasagna
- Italian Stuffed Shells with Meat and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked ziti
- 1 32 ounce jar Marinara sauce
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 16 ounces shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F and spray an 11x9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, cook the pasta according to package (al dente/no salt) directions, drain.
- In the same large saucepan set over medium heat, cook the marinara sauce and cream cheese together until the cheese melts. Stir often.
- Add the pasta to the marinara/cheese sauce and mix well.
- Pour half the marinara/cheese/ziti sauce in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheeses.
- Sprinkle the cheeses with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil.
- Layer the remaining marinara/cheese/ziti sauce over the cheese and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the baked ziti is bubbly and cheese is golden.
- Garnish with the remaining chopped basil and serve with toasted baguette.
- Enjoy!
I use lots of sauce esp when u have leftovers tastes better the next day. Cook without meat then add meat the next day cooking the meat first then add to the baked ziti. Delicious
Great idea! Thanks, Kimmi!
I made this for family that is visiting. I was so impressed with how easy it was and so delicious at the same time. Generally I make more complicated recipes but with little time, I decided to try this recipe and it was amazing. Thanks so much!
Excellent! Ive been looking for the right Ziti recipe that would give me that creamy restaurant style taste and I have finally found it here. Thank you!!!
I made this tonight. The first serving was okay but the second (leftovers) was very blah. I think it needs more spices or something. Makes a huge amount and is easy, both which I like but I wouldn’t make again.
Incredibly good and SO easy! This will definitely go into my rotation of regularly cooked recipes!
Cheesy pasta fits in any night of the week! :) Glad you like it, Erin.
Give me all the cheesy pasta!!! My family loves this!
SAME!
This is such a family favorite!
I’m so glad!
Love how cheesy this is! So easy to make and I have everything in my kitchen right now to make it. Yay!
SO easy! Thanks for saying hi!
This will be perfect for dinner this week!
Oh good!!!
This is so good! Perfect amount of cheesy goodness!
So glad you loved it!