Baked Ziti with Ricotta & Sausage is a classic Italian dish, perfect for busy weeknights and special occasions alike. Creamy ricotta cheese, savory sausage, and tangy marinara sauce, all baked together with al dente ziti and plenty of fresh mozzarella cheese until golden brown and bubbly. This one is loved by the whole family!
Another reason to love baked ziti? It can be entirely prepped ahead of time! Assemble entirely, then refrigerate and bake before dinner. Alternatively, you can pop the whole dish in the freezer and bake off another time.
For more easy, cheesy pasta recipes, try my spinach and ricotta-stuffed cannelloni, these cheesy-stuffed manicotti, or this irresistible one pan stove top lasagna next!
Ingredient Notes
To make a delicious, cheesy oven-baked ziti, you’ll need a sturdy short pasta—ziti is the classic choice, but penne or rigatoni work just as well. For protein, Italian sausage brings plenty of flavor, whether you go for spicy or sweet.
A quick sauté of chopped sweet onion in olive oil adds a nice base, along with fresh oregano, grated garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds for extra depth.
The sauce is rich and flavorful, made from tomato paste, a splash of red wine, and canned crushed tomatoes. Baby spinach adds a pop of freshness, while a blend of whole milk ricotta (or make your own ricotta!), Pecorino Romano, and fresh mozzarella makes it irresistibly cheesy. A bit of lemon zest brightens everything up, and fresh basil on top brings that final touch of herbaceous goodness.
Honestly, if you love these ingredients, you may be inspired to try my Italian lasagna soup recipe next!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Feel free to use store-bought or homemade marinara sauce to make this ziti recipe even easier!
- Don’t have Pecorino Romano? Parmigiano Reggiano is great!
- Sausage: You can use pork, chicken, or any other variety of sausage you like. Even ground meat (such as ground beef) are a great alternative.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Cook Pasta: Cook the ziti according to package instructions until it’s just slightly undercooked. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned.
- Sauté the aromatics: Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds, then cook for another minute.
- Stir in the sauce: Stir in tomato paste, then deglaze with red wine. Add canned tomatoes.
- Combine everything: Stir in baby spinach, season well, then toss to coat everything evenly.
- Assemble the dish: Pour half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Repeat with the remaining pasta mixture and cheese.
- Bake: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Broil to get a golden crust on top!
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta, as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- For a richer flavor, use full-fat ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese.
- This dish can be frozen before baking, making it perfect for gifting to friends or family. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as instructed.
- Sausage: I like spicy Italian sausage, but sweet sausage, ground pork, or even ground beef is great here.
For a similarly flavored dish without the pasta, try my cheesy sausage-stuffed spaghetti squash!
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
- To make-ahead: You can assemble the ziti ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before baking.
- Leftovers and storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To reheat: To reheat, place individual portions in the microwave or reheat larger portions in the oven at 350°F (175°C) until warmed through.
- Freezing instructions: This Baked Ziti freezes beautifully! After assembling but before baking, tightly cover the dish with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is a star on its own, but you can elevate it with a fresh green salad and garlic bread on the side. And if you have leftover pesto lying around, spoon some right on top. Sausage and sage are a match made in heaven, so a dollop of sage walnut pesto would be *chefs kiss*!
A few of my personal favorite light salads: 5-Minute Arugula Salad with Parmesan, No Cook Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad, or my House Salad with Goat Cheese and Balsamic.
Leftovers can be packed in lunches or enjoyed for dinner the next day. Truly, if I packed my daughter pasta every single day for lunch, she’d be the happiest kid on the planet!
This hearty baked pasta is a crowd-pleaser that’s sure to become a staple in your recipe collection. Even my picky boys will eat this one (okay fine, one of them picks out the sausage…)!
If you make this Oven-Baked Ziti recipe, please let us know by leaving a review and rating below!
And make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Facebook for more Well Seasoned recipes! Don’t forget to tag us on social channels when you make a recipe at #wellseasonedstudio and upload your photos below! We love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Tell Us What You Think!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review and rating—we value your feedback and it helps us keep creating (and sharing!) free recipes. Your support means the world!
Rate this Recipe
Cheesy Oven-Baked Ziti with Ricotta & Sausage
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried ziti, or other short tubular pasta such as penne or rigatoni
- 1 lb Italian sausage, spicy or sweet, casings removed
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped, or about 2 tsp dried oregano
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
- ½-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you prefer
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine, such as Chianti
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach, or thinly sliced Swiss chard leaves
- 1 tsp Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning pasta water
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta (a scant 2 cups)
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated, divided
- 1 lemon, zested, about 1-2 tsp
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or ripped (if using fresh)
- For garnish: fresh basil or fresh oregano
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente. Preheat an oven to 400°F (205°C), then coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with a little oil. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil, then season generously with a few tablespoons of Kosher salt. Add 1 lb dried ziti pasta, then cook according to package directions until al dente (typically about 3 minutes less than suggested full cook time). Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta and set aside. While the water is heating, move onto the next step.
- Brown the sausage. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 lb Italian sausage, then use a spatula to break up into smaller pieces. Cook until browned, about 4-6 minutes. Add 1 diced onion, then cook an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Sauté aromatics. Stir in 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves (or 2 tsp dried oregano), 4 cloves grated garlic, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ tsp fennel seeds, then cook for an additional 1 minute. Add 2 Tbsp tomato paste, then use a spatula to stir it into the onion and sausage.
- Add the liquid. Pour in ½ cup red wine to deglaze the pan, then use a spatula to scrape any browned bits off the bottom. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes, then add 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes.
- Add spinach. Stir in 5-ounces fresh baby spinach (or Swiss chard leaves) until wilted, then season with 1 tsp Kosher salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Pour in the drained ziti pasta, along with ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Stir well until the sauce evenly coats the pasta.
- Make the ricotta mixture. In a large bowl, mix together 15-ounces ricotta, ¾ cup grated Pecorino Romano (reserve the rest), and 2 tsp lemon zest.
- Assemble. Pour half of the ziti and sausage mixture into the prepared baking dish, then dollop with half of the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining ziti, ricotta, and mozzarella, then sprinkle the top with ¼ cup of grated Pecorino Romano.
- Bake, then serve. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling. Adjust the oven temperature to broil, then carefully place the baked ziti on a rack about 4-6-inches from the heat source. Broil on high for a few minutes, until the cheese on top turns golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so the top doesn’t burn! Allow the ziti to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil or oregano leaves, then serve immediately!
Notes
- Make ahead: Assemble and refrigerate up to 24 hours before baking.
- Storage & reheating: Refrigerate leftovers for 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
- Freezing: Freeze unbaked, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, then bake as directed.
So good! My husband and I enjoyed this so much! I did also add a bit of fresh basil to the sauce and I seasoned the ricotta mixture. We will make this again and again!
It’s such a great (and easy!) pasta! Thanks, Stacy! xo, Ari
Thank you for all these delicious recipes. Can I freeze this after baked? Will it alter the flavour?
Beth
Hi Beth! Personal preference, but I like to freeze whole trays of pasta before baking for better texture and to avoid the potential for pasta to dry out or cheese to separate during the freezing and thawing process (I think they are 100% just as good when baked after thawing!). But yes, youu can absolutely freeze it after it’s cooked, just thaw completely overnight a fridge before reheating. Report back and let me know what you think! Cheers, Ari
I will definitely let you know next time how it taste when I freeze it after baked. I thought this pasta would be too much and its actually ended with only couple servings leftover for tomorrow to take for lunch, my family love this pasta! Thank you 😉
Wow, look at that golden brown cheesy crust! That looks absolutely phenomenal, Beth! So glad you all enjoyed. Cheers, Ari
This was delicious! My husband said it was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve made. The spinach made me feel less guilty about the extra mozzarella I added. Thank you so much for your incredible recipes.
Totally agree, adding big handfuls of spinach always makes me feel good. Thanks, Suzanne, really glad you both enjoyed! Cheers, Ari