If you are looking for a delicious make-ahead dish to feed a crowd, then I have the perfect recipe for you, Easy Make-Ahead Baked Ziti!
This yummy, hearty, Easy Make-Ahead Baked Ziti recipe includes ziti pasta with not one but three kinds of cheese, sausage and hamburger meat, and chunks of tomato in a rich tomato sauce. It a comfort food nirvana! Make Ahead Baked Ziti also freezes well and is perfect to keep on hand in your freezer for nights when you just don’t feel like cooking or when you need a nice meal to welcome a new neighbor or to take to a sick friend.
Because this recipe makes twelve servings, when I made it, I divided it into thirds, and baked one casserole and froze the other two.
If you like easy make-ahead casseroles, check out my recipes for Easy Baked Spaghetti Pie Casserole, Chicken Sausage and Wild Rice Casserole and Chicken Mushroom Marsala Pasta too!
How to make Easy Make-Ahead Baked Ziti
This baked ziti recipe has a fairly long ingredient list, but it comes together quickly. The ingredients are olive oil, garlic, onion, ground beef, Italian sausage, tomato sauce, canned whole tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, ziti, mozzarella, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and eggs.
To get started, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften.
Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until done. Drain off the fat and season the meat with salt and pepper.
Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and juice, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir, and simmer for 30-40 minutes. After simmering, break up the tomatoes with a fork. Let cool.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Bring to a full rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta, frequently stirring for about 8 minutes or until it reaches the al dente stage, such that it is still somewhat firm and not completely cooked through and soft.
Pour the pasta into a colander and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside to cool.
In a very large bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and about 1 tsp of salt and pepper.
Add the cooled pasta and toss to combine. Add about 2 cups of the tomato meat sauce and mix again.
This recipe makes 12 servings. If you are making just 1 casserole, you will have to use at least a 5-quart casserole or lasagna pan or one that is 11×15 inches. If you want to divide it up, you can use 8×8 or smaller pans. For this batch, I used 2 8×8 aluminum foil disposable pans which will hold least 3 servings each and 1 8×12 inch glass casserole dish which contains 6 servings.
For easy clean-up, spray your casserole dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Add half of the coated pasta to your casserole dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
Bake uncovered for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until bubbling. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
*If you want to freeze your casserole, cover tightly and place in the freezer. To cook, let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the directions above. If you cook it without defrosting, add about 30 minutes to the cooking time.
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***From the archives: This popular recipe originally posted April 11, 2016. Republished on March 14, 2018, with new photos but no changes to the original recipe.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings | 12 servings |
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 cans tomato sauce 14.5 oz cans
- 1 can whole tomatoes with juice 28 oz can
- 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 lb ziti
- 1-1/2 pounds mozzarella grated
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta 15 oz tub
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 2 eggs beaten
Ingredients
|
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until done. Drain off the fat and season the meat with salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes and juice, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Stir, and simmer for 30-40 minutes. After simmering, break up the tomatoes with a fork. Let cool.
- In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water starts boiling, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt to the water. Bring to a full rolling boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta, stirring frequently for about 8 minutes or until it reaches the al dente stage, such that it is still somewhat firm and not completely cooked through and soft. Pour the pasta into a colander and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a very large bowl, mix together 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and about 1 tsp of salt and pepper. Add the cooled pasta and toss to combine. Add about 2 cups of the tomato meat sauce and mix again.
- This recipe makes 12 servings. If you are making just 1 casserole, you will have to use at least a 5-quart casserole or lasagna pan or one that is 11x15 inches. If you want to divide it up, you can use 8x8 or smaller pans. For this batch, I used 2 8x8 aluminum foil disposable pans which will hold least 3 servings each and 1 8x12 inch glass casserole dish which contains 6 servings.
- For easy clean-up, spray your casserole dish(s) lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Add half of the coated pasta to your casserole dish(s). Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- Bake uncovered for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until bubbling. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
*If you want to freeze your casserole, cover tightly and place in the freezer. To cook, let defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake according to the directions above. If you cook it without defrosting, add about 20 minutes to the cooking time.
This is the second time I have made this, so obviously it is a keeper. What makes it so good is mixing the ricotta mixture with the noodles before putting the casserole together. Great job Sharon.
I’m so glad you like it! It’s one of our favorites too!
Sharon
The baked ziti was perfect to make and divide
for several friends that needed a yummy home cooked
meal 😀. Sarah
Hey Sarah, so glad you liked it. And, yes, it’s perfect for sharing. I always make a double batch and freeze several pans of it to have for emergencies or to share with friends!
I thought I had a great baked ziti recipe until I tried this one! It’s so good and it freezes perfectly for another time. If you need a meal that feeds a lot of people and you’d really love to hear what a good cook you are, try this dish. Everyone will ask you for the recipe…I promise!
Hey Kerri,
Thank you so much for your sweet comment! So glad you enjoy the Baked Ziti!
Sharon, I finally got an opportunity to make this dish and it is fabulous…..a definite do over! I made it for a family whose Mother had just had surgery, and then put up two casseroles in our freezer. Just took out one and baked it last night and it was incredible! It will definitely be repeated in our home often! LOVE your blog! Always look forward to it! Would love to learn more about your Cookbook Club. Sounds like a fun idea!
Hey Jan,
Thank you so much for your sweet comments and I’m so glad you liked the casserole! It’s one of our favorites too!
Here is a link to the article I saw online a few years ago that prompted me to start our cookbook club: https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/10/how-to-start-a-cookbook-club.html
We have expanded ours to include blogs which makes it even easier to manage. But if it’s a cookbook that everyone doesn’t have or want to buy, we just share it. The way ours works is that each member hosts once a year and gets to choose the cookbook we use for that month. We also have a rule that ours is a “no-stress” club. If a dish doesn’t turn out, or because life happens and someone isn’t able or frankly doesn’t feel like making a dish they come anyway. We always have plenty of food. We set up a private Facebook group to communicate and for each hostess to post the cookbook for the month and each member to post what they are bringing or to ask to borrow a book. We also post pictures and use it for general group chit-chat I keep thinking that one of these days I’m going to write a post describing it. I can tell you we have really enjoyed it and we all look forward to our luncheon every month.
I hope you give it a try and please let me know if you have any questions!
Hope you and Bennet are doing well and I miss you!
Sharon
Miss you too. Will call to get together next time in Tally.
Can you use ground sausage instead of the whole sausage?
Hi Jan, absolutely, that’s what I use.
I’m always looking for make-ahead meals and a ziti bake is top on my list to make. It is incredibly convenient and amazingly flavorful. Your recipe looks fantastic. Thanks for posting.
Hi. Do you bake it and then freeze it?
Or put in freezer before baking?
Hi Kris, I would freeze it before baking. Then allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. If it is still frozen in the middle, you will need to bake it a little longer than specified. I hope you enjoy it!
All my best,
Sharon
Can it be made the day before and put into the refrigerator overnight, so that when guests arrive the next day, I just pop it into the oven?
Yes, this is a great make-ahead dish. I would take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before you plan to bake it, to allow it to come to room temperature.
I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon
would you cook it all the way, refrigerate overnight and reheat the next day? Or assemble day before & bake the next day before serving? Thank you!
Hi Rene,
I would assemble the day before and bake it before serving. I hope you enjoy it!
Sharon