Baked Ziti Recipe - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

Should baked ziti be covered when baking? ›

Should I cover Baked Ziti while it's baking? Yes. Cover loosely with foil so it doesn't stick to the cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil so the cheese can go bubbly and golden!

I always add a lot of sauce and that helps prevent the dried out top layer. Take out of the oven as soon as cheese is melted and golden. It's also important to make sure all pasta is covered with sauce.

Add half the pasta to the baking dish, top with dollops of the ricotta, the remaining spinach, and scoop the remaining pasta on top. Top with the mozzarella and pecorino cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until the cheese is browned, 16 to 22 minutes.

well, lasagna noodles! The noodles are stacked in a baking dish with cheese and sauce between each layer. Baked ziti, however, uses ziti noodles that are tossed with sauce and cheese. There's still some layering involved but only a little so it comes together quicker and easier than lasagna.

Oftentimes, baked ziti can end up watery if the tomato sauce isn't thick enough.

Cottage cheese: As far as ricotta substitutes go, light and mild cottage cheese is your best bet. In fact, some people prefer to use cottage cheese because it has a similar flavor and fewer calories.

TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!

Layering is important (but easy!)

Layer half the mozzarella into the pasta and reserve half for the top. It bakes up golden-brown — the hallmark of a good pasta casserole. Make sure there is enough sauce to use as a layer at the top, under the mozzarella. This will insulate the pasta and keep it from drying out.

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a rich, soft Italian cheese. It's similar to cream cheese in texture but is made with heavy cream rather than milk. If you're wondering what is ricotta cheese substitute for desserts, mascarpone is a great option.

Baked Ziti is a popular Italian-American dish that is not commonly found in Italy. It is a casserole-style pasta that typically consists of ziti pasta, tomato sauce, cheese (usually a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan), and added ingredients like meat or vegetables.

What to eat with baked ziti? ›

(You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.

That pitfall, according to The Kitchn, is almost always due to not saucing the ziti adequately. You see, as the starchy pasta bakes in the oven, it swells and absorbs a large amount of sauce, which is exactly why The Kitchn recommends adding a hefty 5 cups of marinara per pound of dried ziti.

Acidic ingredients like tomatoes and citrus can react with aluminum (the most common metal used in bakeware), creating a metallic taste in your food. This is why lasagna and other casseroles with acidic ingredients are often baked in glass.

If you prefer a tender and moist result, covered baking will be the better option. If you're desiring a crispy exterior and bolder flavors, uncovered baking is best.

A no-fuss weeknight wonder!

We add stock to the baking dish along with the chopped tomatoes and veggies and cover with tinfoil before popping in the oven which keeps the heat and moisture in allowing the pasta to cook perfectly.

Leaving the pot uncovered is also key because pasta should be stirred frequently to prevent sticking. Plus, because pasta should be cooked until al dente, a lid will make it hard to decipher how far along you are in the process, and might even lead to mushy noodles, which is the last thing you want.

I boil my pasta to just under a minute of “al dente” and then after my layering it typically bake it uncovered because I want the crusty cheese on top.