My family loves this easy Baked Ziti recipe, and I love that it's made all in just one pan! It's as fast and delicious as comfort food gets and ready in less than 30 minutes!
Looking for more 30-Minute Meals? Try our Salmon Bowls, Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Spaghetti Pie, Cajun Chicken Pasta, or Crispy Bean and Cheese Burritos!
What we LOVE about this recipe:
- 30-minute meal – This baked ziti with sausage is one of many quick and easy 30 minute recipes that the whole family will enjoy.
- One-Pot Dinner – Only one pan from start to finish, which makes prep and clean-up a breeze.
- Adaptable – This recipe can be varied a lot depending on the ingredients you have on hand, like using different kinds of pasta or ground meat, or add in additional veggies.
How to make Baked Ziti:
Brown Sausage: Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Make Sauce: Pour in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.
Cook Pasta: Add water and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender.
Add Cheese: Stir in the half and half, and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste then sprinkle mozzarella evenly on top.
Bake: Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 5 minutes.
Serve the best baked ziti recipe with a side salad or wedge salad and breadsticks or garlic knots!
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Follow the directions of making the sauce, up to step 4. Don't add and cook the noodles, yet. Continue with step 4 just before you want to serve the homemade baked ziti.
To Freeze: Prepare the ziti pasta up until the baking step. Cover with a double layer of aluminum foil sprayed lightly with non-stick cooking spray then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or, bake from frozen, covered in foil for 1 hour and 15 minutes, and uncover and bake 20-30 minutes longer, or until bubbly and warmed through.
Recipe Variations:
- Skillet: You can make it in any type of LARGE skillet, as long as it's oven proof. A simple cast-iron skillet would work great.
- Noodles: If you can't find ziti noodles at the store, buy them online, or substitute penne, farfalle, or another type of bite-size pasta.
- Meat: We love the flavor of ground sausage but feel free to substitute ground beef, or turkey.
- Cheese: Substitute any type of shredded cheese if you don't have mozzarella or parmesan.
- Crockpot Version: You can also make it in a crockpot.
Check out all my One Pot Meals:
- Hawaiian Meatballs
- American Goulash
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Pad Thai
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Pot Roast
- Spaghetti Pie
- Beef Gyros
- Tamale Pie
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Recipe
One Pan Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 5-6 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 Tablespoon dried basil (or ½ cup fresh basil leaves added at the end)
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 3 cups water
- 12 ounces ziti pasta (or similar pasta)
- 1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Heat a large 12-inch or bigger oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, crumbling into small pieces, until browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, dried basil and oregano. Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the water and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until noodles are tender.
- Stir in the half and half, and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly on top.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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*I originally shared this recipe February 2015. Updated November 2018 and August 2023.
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I made this tonight to rave reviews from every single member of my family. Picky kids included! 🙂
If I double the recipie and cook pasta in sep pot do I still add the water in when I combine??
Hi Lindsey, no you wont need extra water if you cook the pasta separately.
This meal was fast, easy, and delicious! I added in fresh spinach with the cream and Parmesan for an all in one meal. It got raves and the compliment that it was better than any baked ziti my husband had ordered at several Italian restaurants! Thanks so much, and I’m eager to try more of your recipes!
Thanks so much Heidi! I’m really glad your family liked it, and I love the idea of adding spinach!
How many servings do you usually get out of this?
Hi Susanna, this recipe would serve about 5-6 people
So do you pour the water in with the sauce and boil it all with the noodles or do you do you boil the noodles separately?
Hi Ashley, YES you add the water and noodles all in with the sauce and cook everything together in one pan :-). Super easy. Hope you love it.
Can’t wait to try this tonight! I’m doing beef instead so I’ll drain the grease, but I noticed it didn’t say if I should drain the diced tomatoes? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, nope, dont drain the diced tomatoes! Sounds yummy–I’d love to hear how you like it!
I pinned this yesterday and made it this evening! It’s was very good! The only thing is that I didn’t use Italian sausage bc the the store near my house didn’t have it so I just used ground beef. Will make again!!!! Thank you for sharing!!!
I was looking for an easy recipe and found this “one pan baked ziti…I used sweet Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes (it’s what I had on hand), didn’t have a pan to put in the oven so when it came to step 4 I transferred it to a baking dish…I think, it came out great…I will be making this again & again…MAHALO for sharing this recipe with all of us…
Oh my lands!!!! Just made this…One of the best pasta dishes I have ever made!!! And so easy! Waaaaaaay fewer dishes to deal with too!!!! LOOOVE!!!!
I really love this one pan recipe! The taste is wonderful. However, I was wanting to double it but I don’t have a big enough pan. How could I adapt this for a casserole dish?
Hi Noemi, that would work easily! Cook the sauce according to step 1 directions. Then cook the the pasta separately in boiling water until tender. Then combine the sauce and pasta in a large bowl. Stir in the half and half and parmesan cheese and then pour everything into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and bake. I’d bake it at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes and then turn it to broil for 5.