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Baked Ziti
This baked ziti uses ricotta, mozzarella, and creme fraîche to make a bubbly, rich pasta with a hearty, spinach-flecked red sauce loaded with flavor. The creme fraîche keeps things silky, adds dimension, and is a game changer. A family favorite that freezes well and happily feeds a crowd.
Prep
30 min
Cook
30 min
Total
1h
Serves
8
Instructions
- 01
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, crème fraîche, egg, and 1/2 cup of the Pecorino Romano. Season with salt and black pepper and set aside.
- 02
Make the Sauce:
- 03
Heat the oil in your largest skillet, at least 12-inches wide. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 6-7 minutes or so. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and oregano and cook for 2 minutes more. Add whatever sausage you’re using, and cook until browned, breaking it up into chunks with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season to taste and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.
- 04
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- 05
Cook the Ziti:
- 06
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and return to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook a couple minutes short of al dente. The pasta will continue to cook while baking, so avoid over cooking in the pasta water at this stage. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water.
- 07
Finish the Sauce and Assemble:
- 08
Add the spinach to the sauce with the 1/4 cup of pasta water, stirring until it wilts. Remove from the heat. Stir half of the sauce into the ricotta mixture. Add the pasta and toss together to coat. Pour the pasta into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano over the top and bake until the cheese starts bubbling and browning at the edges - about 20-25 minutes. Go longer if you need to make sure everything is hot.
- 09
Set the oven to broil and broil until the cheese and pasta are browned in spots, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
per serving · 1 serving
- Calories
- 703
- Protein
- 43g
- Carbs
- 60g
- Fat
- 32g
- Fiber
- 5g
- Sugar
- 8g
- Sat. fat
- 15g
- Sodium
- 1099mg
- Cholesterol
- 100mg
Variations & swaps
Variations
- Here are some favorite variations on this baked ziti that I’ve cooked over the years.
- Make it Spicy: To make this baked ziti feisty and spicy, add a bit of spicy Calabrian pepper paste (the one I buy most is called Bomba di Calabria) to the sauce after adding the spinach. Go easy, some of these pastes are wildly spicy. But also go stronger than you might otherwise because the sauce will be cut with all that dairy. Taste and adjust.
- Make it Gluten Free: You can make this recipe gluten-free by using GF pasta in place of traditional pasta. At the time I’m writing this the Impossible sausage is GF, but double check - in case you’re using another brand or their product changes.
- Baked Ziti with Mushrooms: I do a version of this baked ziti using this mushroom ragù, and it is equally fantastic. Basically, fill a 12-inch skillet to 1/2-inch or so below the rim, and stir in the 5 ounces or spinach. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Basically, don’t skimp on the amount of sauce you’re using.
- Toss in Some Wildcards: A lot of times when making baked ziti, I’ll toss ingredients in on a whim. Whatever I have at hand. A few of the more successful additions include the following: torn olives, lots of lemon or orange zest, extra spinach or herbs, deeply caramelized onions, goat cheese in place of half the mozzarella.
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