Being an second generation Italian-American, I know a thing or two about pasta bakes. They are one of the best recipes to make for a friend in need of some comfort, a graduation party or family gathering. Or in our case, dishes like this baked ziti al forno gives you another alternative to lasagna at Christmas.
Pasta at the holidays is required, right?
Be sure to check out all of my classic Italian pasta recipes for your holiday and family gatherings!
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Vegetarian baked ziti…the lasagna alternative
This 5 cheese baked ziti celebrates a few Italian pantry ingredients. Layers of tomato butter sauce co-mingle with 5 cheeses and cooked ziti pasta. I promise — if you whip up a pan of this baked ziti with ricotta, your guests will be going back for seconds, thirds and…one cheesy last bite while washing the dishes.
This meatless baked ziti is also a great vegetarian recipe offering an alternative to meat lasagna.
Plus, a pasta and ricotta cheese bake is easier to serve for a party because your guests can scoop out what they need instead of trying to cut and serve pieces of lasagna.
Tbh, trying to decide between this ziti recipe and this viral baked goat cheese pasta with cherry tomatoes or this unbelievably flavorful four cheese baked mac and cheese is a challenge!
Or maybe I’ll make them all.
What is al forno?
You might hear baked mostaccioli or pasta recipes being referred to as al forno. Al forno (or to the oven in Italian) refers to dishes that are baked in an oven. Makes sense, right?
Ingredient rundown for baked ziti
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One of the best things about this baked ziti recipe with ricotta is how easy it is, especially because there aren’t a ton of ingredients in it:
⇢ You can find the full ingredient list + measurements in the recipe card directly below.
How to make 5 cheese baked ziti
Assembling this ahead of time is great for a holiday gathering. Here is what you’ll do:
- Bring a large stock pot of water to boil and you achieve a rolling boil, add a healthy amount of kosher or sea salt. Pour in the dried pasta and stir immediately. Cook 2-3 minutes less than the package states.
- In another smaller pot, add a can of whole tomatoes (you can also use tomato puree or passata), a whole onion that’s been peeled and quartered, and 5 tablespoons of butter. Bring to a low boil and lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Mix the ricotta with the egg, goat cheese and parmesan. Dust with a tich of nutmeg (2nd photo).
- After the pasta and sauce are cooked, add a ladle of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13″ pan.
- Top with pasta and then layering on the fresh mozzarella and ricotta mixture.
- Repeat ending with sauce. Sprinkle over fresh grated fontina and parmesan.
- Bake until golden brown and the cheese is a little crispy.
Top tips for baked pasta dishes
- Undercooking pasta before baking for an al forno pasta recipe leaves you with pasta that is perfectly al dente!
- Bake uncovered until golden brown. Cover as needed towards the end of the cooking time so as to not get too brown.
- Broil the top as needed to achieve that golden,crispy crunch.
- Let the baked pasta sit for about 15 minutes. It will be easier to serve and the melted cheese will have a bit to firm up so it’s not too gooey. And don’t worry…it’ll be plenty hot.
Ziti vs penne vs rigatoni…what’s the difference?
How they’re the same
All three pastas are tubed pastas and are extruded pastas, meaning they pass through a shaped die (sometimes bronze) and are cut to length as they come through the die.
Ziti vs penne
Ziti is a little longer, thicker and is evenly straight across on the ends. Penne pasta, which is also a tube pasta, has ridges that hold sauce and angled ends. Penne is also used a lot in penne alla vodka.
Ziti vs rigatoni
Rigatoni essentially looks like a rectangle shaped pasta with ridges and like ziti, is evenly cut on each end. Ziti is smaller and narrower than rigatoni and usually lacks ridges.
Where to find ziti
Ziti can sometimes be harder to find and two of my favorites are DeCecco’s ziti and the ziti by Barilla.
To confuse things, some brands, especially Italian pasta brands, make ziti penne which is essentially a ziti with ridges.
Make ahead, storage and freezing
Make ahead
- Make the sauce up to 3 days ahead or defrost from frozen.
- You can use jarred sauce as well. Rao’s Marinara is a great alternative.
Storage
Store leftovers in the pan covered with foil. Alternatively, transfer to an airtight, covered container for up to 3 days.
Freeze
Pasta bake can also be made and frozen. Reserve the top layer of cheese for right before baking. Defrost completely and then bake according to the recipe.
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Family-Style Baked Ziti with Ricotta (Vegetarian)
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Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti pasta, I use Barilla No. 74
- 1 double recipe of tomato with butter sauce, sauce recipe here
- ½ lb fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 4 oz of fontina, grated
- fresh basil leaves, finely chopped or julienned
For the ricotta mixture:
- 1 16 oz container of ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 3 oz goat cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese plus extra for topping.
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Make a batch of sweet tomato sauce.1 double recipe of tomato with butter sauce
- Cook the pasta in boiling, heavily salted water for 2-3 minutes less than the package directions. Drain and set aside.1 lb ziti pasta
- Whisk the ricotta, egg, parmesan and goat cheese together in a small bowl. Sprinkle in a pinch of nutmeg.1 16 oz container of ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 3 oz goat cheese, ½ cup parmesan cheese plus extra for topping., Pinch of nutmeg
- Toss a ladle or two of sauce with the pasta.Pour 1 ladle of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish and spread by shaking and moving the pan from side to side to coat the bottom of the pan.Layer on ½ the pasta and then some more sauce. Sprinkle over ½ of the cubed fresh mozzarella cheese. Top with large plops of ricotta mixture (about 6).½ lb fresh mozzarella
- Repeat the layers. Sprinkle over grated fontina and extra parmesan cheese.4 oz of fontina
- Bake at 400˚for 40 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.
- Serve with extra sauce, finely chopped basil and grated parmesan cheese.fresh basil leaves
