The Best Baked Ziti (Postpartum Ziti)
This recipe for the best Baked Ziti is a huge favorite! Italian sausage marinara, cottage cheese, and fresh basil combine to make this decadent casserole. The best part is the mozzarella that is chopped into chunks instead of shredded. They melt into pools of cheesy glory. We’ve always called it “Postpartum Ziti” because it makes a TON and is perfect for bringing to new moms!
This post was originally published on January 18, 2012. Here’s a flashback to 2012:
So do you ever have those days where you just cannot wake up, no matter what you do? Today was one of those days. I got up at 6:30, drove to the gym, ran for a half hour, drove back, and I still felt like I was sleep walking. (Which is perhaps why I nearly crashed on the way home. If you live in my town, consider yourself warned.)
Now as I write this, Charlotte [11 months] is eating her extremely healthy blueberry yogurt multigrain pancake that I made for her. Actually she is methodically tearing it up into pieces and dropping them on the floor with relish, while looking me in the eye with a face that says Go ahead. Stop me. I can’t really blame her. Eric had basically the same reaction. I thought they were delicious.
Things that I did today: drank rancid orange juice. Spilled yogurt on myself. Twice. (Did I mention I was tired?) Cleaned up a Charlotte mess. Twice. (because she has a diaper rash so I put her to bed without a diaper. Have I told you lately that I’m a genius?) Caught my hand on my iPod cord while running, causing said iPod to fly off the treadmill tray and trip me. Rearranged the bobby pin in my hair only to drop said pin and see it get shot 2 feet behind me after the ride of its life on the treadmill. People must look at me flailing around on the treadmill trying not to get killed and think to themselves, Wow. She must not come here very often. Which is true.
We had some friends back in Indiana who would bring this amazing ziti to new moms, hence the name Postpartum Ziti. It is amazingly delicious and makes a ton. [photo from 2012]
Back to the present
Hi it’s me, Karen from 2019! It’s been almost 8 years, and I still think this is the best baked Ziti recipe ever! Also I need to come clean about the fact that nothing has changed in the gym department since writing this post.
I don’t even have a gym membership right now (pregnant people don’t have to exercise, you know that right? Gosh I’m JOKING), but I did up until a few months ago, and I’m still just as much of an idiot when exercising in public. (Remember when I thought the other half of the gym was a wall of mirrors? Yeah.)
How to make the Best Baked Ziti
Here’s how to take your Baked Ziti from ho-hum to Oh-my-gosh-this-is-amazing.
Boil up some ziti with plenty of salt. If you can’t find ziti at the store (I feel like it’s hard to find at some stores??) Use penne pasta, rigatoni, or anything else that looks like a tube. Beat a couple eggs and combine with cottage cheese and a good deal of Parmesan. If you would rather use ricotta instead of cottage cheese, I’m sure it would work great, but for this recipe I love cottage cheese. And that’s coming from a serious ricotta lover.
Make your easy red sauce, starting out with Italian sausage and tons of garlic. I love that you don’t have to chop an onion for this recipe. You won’t miss it, I promise. Don’t skip the fresh basil, if possible! It gives the sauce this unbeatable fresh flavor. Sub the 1/2 cup basil with 1 tablespoons dried basil, if you don’t have any.
Chop up your mozzarella and set aside and stir some into the cottage cheese mixture. The chunks of cheese in this recipe are what set it apart! Put that cheese grater down!
Once you’ve thickened up your cream, add the cottage cheese mixture and stir in all that pasta. You are going to want to dive in with a fork at this point, but hold off, I promise it’s even better once it’s come out of the oven.
Top the pasta with the remaining red sauce and even more mozzarella and parmesan! Then bake to perfection!
This is still one of my favorite meals to bring to new moms (it will always be called Postpartum Ziti at our house, haha), or to any family in need. It is tasty and very filling, feeds a ton of people, and freezes well! Plus who can say no to a baked ziti casserole?? It’s irresistible!
Bring it with a salad kit from the produce section at the store and some French bread from the deli and call it good. The simpler I keep meals that I bring other families, the more likely I am to do it again next time (instead of categorizing it in my brain as “a ton of work” it’s just “a casserole and some food from the store” which is much more approachable in my mind.)
If you are bringing a meal to a smaller family, split the casserole between two 8 inch square pans and feed your family AND theirs. Yesss!!
More casseroles that you are going to love!
Easy Ravioli Lasagna: << perfect for busy weeknights! It’s way faster than today’s ziti recipe.
Classic Shepherd’s Pie Recipe with Crispy Cheddar Topping << this is another casserole that can feed an army. It’s so good!
Easy Cheesy Asparagus Tortellini Bake << this takes about 15 minutes to throw together!
Chicken Crepes with Jalapeno Cheese << this is my mom’s recipe. It’s so decadent and delicious!
Old Fashioned Lasagna << can’t beat the classic.
Aunt Shirley’s Creamy Chicken Enchiladas << dreamy creamy Mexican food that is not really Mexican. Yum.
Chicken Pot Pie with Flaky Biscuit Topping << a casserole version of chicken pot pie, with biscuits on top! So good.
White Lasagna with Chicken and Pesto << pesto + lasagna?? yes please!!
Poblano, Corn, and Zucchini Lasagna << this is one of the best vegetarian meals I’ve ever had.
Spinach and Ravioli Lasagna from Lemons for Lulu
Penne Pasta Bake from Taste and Tell
Country Style Rigatoni from Honey and Birch
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The Best Baked Ziti (Postpartum Ziti)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti, or penne/rigatoni if you can't find ziti
- olive oil
For the red sauce
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 5 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
For the cream
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
For the cottage cheese mixture
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 pound cottage cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
To top casserole
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- more chopped basil, to garnish after baking
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a deep 9x13 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray, focusing on the edges.
- Cook the pasta. Fill a 3 quart pot with water and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 1 pound ziti (or other tubular pasta, if you can't find ziti.) Cook until just shy of al dente, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta into a colander and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil so that it doesn't stick together. Stir to distribute oil. Set aside. Save the pot that you boiled the pasta in!
- Meanwhile, make the red sauce. In a large skillet, crumble and cook 1 pound Italian sausage over medium high heat until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, it should take about 5 minutes. Drain and discard the fat. (I usually turn off the heat while draining the fat)
- Once the fat is drained (turn the heat back to medium high and wait until the pan is hot again), add 5 cloves of minced garlic. It should be somewhere between 1 and 2 tablespoons, you can adjust this amount to taste.
- Add the spices: 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Saute the garlic and spices with the sausage for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the can of tomato sauce and can of diced tomatoes. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the mixture bubbles, then turn to medium low and simmer for about 10 minutes to marry all those flavors a bit.
- Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil.
- Thicken the cream: In the now-empty pot that you boiled the pasta in, add 1 cup cold heavy cream. Whisk in 1 teaspoon cornstarch until there are no lumps at all. Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a very low simmer, stirring frequently. The mixture should be thickened in about 3-4 minutes.
- For the cottage cheese mixture: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well. Add 1 pound cottage cheese and combine well. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup cubed mozzarella.
- Once the cream has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the cottage cheese mixture. Add 1 cup of the red sauce and stir together.
- Add the drained pasta to the pot with the cottage cheese and stir to combine.
- Transfer all the pasta to the prepared deep 9x13 inch pan.
- Spread the remaining red sauce evenly on top of the pasta.
- Top the casserole with 1 cup chopped mozzarella cheese and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spray a sheet of foil with nonstick spray and cover the casserole. (If you don't grease the foil, it will stick to the cheese!)
- If your casserole is very full, place on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over.
- Bake the covered casserole at 375 for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes.
- If you would like to brown the cheese even more, move your oven rack to the highest position and broil for 1-2 minutes. Don't walk away!
- Let the baked ziti sit for about 10 minutes before digging in.
- Garnish with fresh chopped basil.
Notes
Nutrition
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Wow! This recipe is a total WINNER! Delicious! Thank you.
I have made this before and let me tell you…show stopper! I am crunched for time and need to make 1 day ahead of birthday dinner, can I make it all up and not cook it until tomorrow? I know it will take longer but is that the only downfall?
Hey Julie, yes totally, this is a great make ahead dish! Just cover and stick in the fridge. I would take it out of the fridge at least 1 hour before baking to let it come to room temp before putting it in the oven. It will bake more evenly. Enjoy!
Holy cow this looks AHHHH-mazing! An excuse to invite the family over for pasta night as the weather cools down.
Should I use fresh mozzarella or just the mozzarella in the cheese section? Also, would it be a good idea to add chopped onion, and if so, how much? Thanks
Hi Lisa! I actually love this recipe because it DOESN’T require a chopped onion! But certainly you can add one in when you brown the meat. Use about 1 small onion. I use regular mozzarella from the cheese section, not fresh. Enjoy!
Can you substitute ground beef instead of the sausage?? Recipe looks amazing.
Hey Sadie, I don’t see why not! you might want to add in a little extra spice to make up for it. Like some fennel! Enjoy!
Made this ton. Yummmmm
So delicious! I used chicken Italian sausage and this came out amazing. Great dish to make ahead of time.
This was tremendous and will be my go-to. I did use Rao’s sauce because I had lots on hand.. I also didn’t add the cornstarch but it was still perfect. Love the method of tossing the cottage cheese and cream with a little sauce and then layering the rest on.. and the diced mozzarella! Just so good. Thank you!
This was DELICIOUS! I did add freash baby spanich to it and it worked well with the recipe
Sorry forgot to leave a 5 🌟 review!!
I have made this several times and it’s a hit every time. This is by far the best baked ziti I have ever made and eaten. I don’t make my ziti any other way now.
I have the same question as Joanne
yes, still used the canned tomatoes and cream!
If I use the 32 oz jar of Raos sauce do I still need the can tomato’s and Cream?
Hi Joanne, yes, i would still use the canned tomatoes and the cream!
I loved it, my family loved it, made it for a co-worker and she and her family loved it. Thank you so much for sharing. It is not only delicious but also so easy to make. Have made it 3x so far and will make it again and again and again.
I’m so happy to hear you loved the recipe Ana! It really is the best casserole for gifting. Thank you so much for coming back to leave a 5 star review, that helps me out so much! You’re awesome :)
Oh my goodness! Yum! I just took this over to a young family, thinking it would be easy, kid-friendly and leftovers could be frozen for later. I’m so glad I put a small amount in another pan for me and my husband.
I just got a call from the mommy asking for the recipe! Now that’s a win!
Once again, Karen, nicely done! 💗 hugs!
Oh yeah you are so lucky you saved some out Sister Chezik!! You can’t give away all of this ziti, it’s too good ;) Lucky family you brought this too. Thanks for sharing the recipe with her. So good to hear from you, hope you and the family are well!
I was so excited for this recipe but the freezer instructions for this are definitely incorrect. I followed the recipe to a tee and put it in the freezer to use after baby was born. I’m 11 days pp today and I put it in the oven straight from the freezer as directed and it’s still frozen solid after 45 minutes at 375 covered + 30 minutes uncovered. You may want to double check this and adjust accordingly. I fear we won’t be eating for hours. :(
I’m so sorry it didn’t work out Cristina! I will adjust the recipe to explain that all ovens are different, and if you are baking from frozen there is going to be some guesswork involved. There are so many variables! I hope the ziti cooked eventually and you were able to serve it for dinner that night. I’m sorry you had to wait! Congratulations on your new baby!
Hi :) can’t wait to try this. Any idea what to substitute the Can of diced tomatoes with for my picky eater son? I don’t want to leave any sauce out, I don’t like dry pasta. Maybe extra tomato sauce? It’s not the same as a can of diced tomatoes. Also, any idea on how to keep it creamy or saucy? So it’s not dried up for leftovers for lunch the next day. Even a couple hours later, after making a pasta casserole, the pasta absorbs everything and sadly it’s no longer saucy. That’s actually what keeps me from making pasta casseroles. I would love some good tips though . Sorry for the long message :)
Hi Jacqueline! No worries, just replace the can of tomatoes with about 1 and 1/2 cups extra tomato sauce. I think it will work out great and will be plenty saucy the next day. If you are worried about it, add 2 cups instead of 1 and 1/2!
It says spread REMAINING red sauce on top of the pasta, does that mean some of the red sauce was already used? I have read through the recipe multiple times and can’t find where it said to use some of the red sauce prior to putting it on top of the pasta? Was wondering if you should put some sauce in the bottom of the pan before putting the pasta/ cheese mixture in, then remaining red sauce on top?? Thanks!
Hi Sherry! In step 10, stir 1 cup of the red sauce into the cottage cheese mixture.
In step 13, add the remainder of the sauce (that you didn’t add to cottage cheese) on top of the casserole.
Hope this helps! Enjoy!
Can I leave the meat out of this recipe? I’m sure it’ll affect the flavor but we keep kosher so we don’t mix dairy and meat nor do we eat pork products.
Hi Roni! yes I think you could! Taste the red sauce and see if you want to add a little more spice to make up for the lack of flavor from the meat. Enjoy!
When I make it, I chop up a bunch of mushrooms to sub for the meat and it’s delish!
What a great idea Meghan! Thanks for sharing!
I made this Baked Ziti for my family. They LOVED it. It is now my favorite go-to recipe when making a meal for a family or having guest over for dinner. Thank you for sharing!
If you put cottage cheese in ANY ITALIAN FOOD you are not ITALIAN. DO NOT EVER GIVE THOSE RECIPES TO AN ITALIAN COOK OR CHEF. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, I’m definitely not Italian Cp! Also I never said the recipe was Italian :) Can’t Americans make Baked Ziti too?? I have room for so much ziti in my life, haha! I’m gonna come up with an Indian baked ziti next I think. Maybe Thai?
Karen, I’ve made this baked ziti recipe several times to consistent rave reviews. I’ve got people fooled into thinking I know how to cook! Kicked it up a notch once and crisped some of the cooked ziti in olive oil on the flat top before tossing it into the recipe, it added a surprise texture. Hands down this recipe just as presented is a superstar.
Isn’t it so great when you can fool people like that? I’ve got an entire blog based on this strategy. haha! So glad you are enjoying the recipe. love the crisped ziti idea!
I made this recipe and I loved it. I’ve made other ziti recipes that were ok. This one stands out. I think the cottage cheese and cream make it pop.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Kristy! I agree, there is something about the creamy mixture that just puts this recipe above the rest :) Thanks so much for reviewing!
Excellent recipe. Restaurant quality!
So happy to hear that Patti!! Thank you so much for reviewing!
To freeze it – you suggest baking or first, and then again after you take out if freezer?
Hi Amy! You can do it either way. You can bake it, eat some, then freeze the rest and bake again just to reheat. Or you could skip the first bake, wrap well (in a disposable pan) and bake from frozen. Enjoy!
Hi Karen,
Not that I would ever say my boyfriend is a picky eater (he would never admit to that), but he likes what he likes ;). Made this ziti last night and he said it was restaurant quality. A huge compliment coming from him. I still have not told him about the cottage cheese in it (somethings are better left untold). I have also made your Crispy Chicken Parmesan dish, another fantastic dish.
Bahaha! We will just keep our opinions about your boyfriends food habits to ourselves shall we ;) I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe Lorrie!! Long live the hidden cottage cheese. And I’m so glad you liked the Chicken Parmesan too! Thanks so much for reviewing!
Have made this twice and got great reviews and everyone loves the name.
So glad you all loved it Bonita!! I’m glad you like the silly name, the casserole has great reviews but not everyone is on board with the name. It’s because they’ve never had a nursing baby and don’t understand the ravenous hunger that overtakes new moms, haha!!
Full disclosure, I was never a big fan of “casseroles”. But, hubby and my beautiful daughter love them. So I came across this. WOW WOW WOW. Absolutely delicious. ( Of course I had to taste for quality control…. ;). The only thing I did was add hot Italian sausage with the mild. I might add a little more heavy cream and maybe a half cup more of cottage cheese. I’m making another big pan of it today. Thanks so much for an amazing dish !!!!
I’m so glad it was a hit Una, even for you! Taste testing is mandatory when you’re doing the cooking ;) Good idea adding the hot sausage, love it! Thanks so much for commenting!
Hi, I plan on making this tomorrow. My boys’ have practice in the evening, so do you think it would be okay to make this up until the baking point, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours before baking? Thank you!
Hi Michelle, yes absolutely! It might take a few more minutes to bake if it hits the oven cold. So plan ahead!
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I made it last night and it was amazing!! After reading comments, I used Rao’s sauce instead of making my own. Also, my grocery store didn’t have fresh basil so I got a semi dried basil and it was still great. Everything was super flavorful and it came out looking gorgeous!! Didn’t even need to broil, the cheese was beautiful, bubbly and brown after the recommended cook time :) I don’t like cottage cheese nor sausage but I used them and the results were amazing.
Rao’s is the best, right? So glad you liked the recipe Rachel! And even not liking cottage cheese or sausage, that’s impressive :) Thanks so much for all the details!!
Sorry if this has been asked. I scrolled the comments and didn’t see it. This looks so damn amazing! I’m prepared to get fresh basil and a brick of mozzarella. The thing is, I loathe ricotta and cottage cheese. I always have. Is there a substitute? Would it be ok to omit it?
Hi Tangee! I’m not sure how it would go. You would definitely miss out on the creamy factor. Maybe just cut it down a little bit? Keep in mind it is mixed with the red sauce, which does tone it down. Let me know what you end up trying out! Oh, and no, I can’t think of a single substitute honestly. I would just omit if you really can’t handle it, and add in some extra mozz.
This is one of the most delicious recipes I’ve ever made. A bit time consuming, but surprisingly simple to put together. It’s absolutely worth every second! This will definitely be in the rotation at home. Thank you!
So happy to hear you’ve got another winner for the rotation Aimee! That’s awesome. Thanks a ton for reviewing!
Any adverse result if I use half heavy whipping cream and half “half& half”? Time crunch as I’m halfway through and realize I have less cream than I thought! Thank you!
Hi Cheryl! A combo of cream and half & half will work totally fine for this recipe! All half & half would even work I think. Enjoy!!
I saved this recipe until now. Woke up this morning and realized that my whole family needed some serious comfort food regardless of the weather. So here we are in August, eating Post Partum Pasta! Karen, this recipe took a little longer than shoving a jar of bottled marinara on top of cooked pasta, but whoa! was it worth it! Just delicious and it cheered us up during this difficult time (pandemic, wildfires, lost jobs, etc.). Thank you for your recipes, but mostly thank you for your quirky, cheery, upbeat and downright funny outlook on life. The stories you share about your family and your life have gotten me through some hard days lately, and I appreciate it. Seeing a post from you is like getting a hug (and we haven’t been able to hug anyone since March!) Thanks again.
This had more ingredients and more steps than I usually do, but it was so worth it. My family loved it.
So worth it indeed!! It’s a process but I’m glad you agree it’s worth the time :) Thanks so much for reviewing Wanda!
This is hands down THE BEST baked ziti I have ever made! I made it for my son and daughter in law and they agreed. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper and my go to for ziti from now on.
I’m so glad the ziti was a hit! It’s always nice to have a crowd pleaser up your sleeve! Thanks so much for coming back to comment!
Delicious. I made a couple of changes. I used ricotta cheese in place of cottage and I used Rao marinara sauce in place of the tomatoes and tomato sauce. So easy! So good!
I love Rao’s! It’s a great replacement for homemade! And glad to hear the ricotta was delicious. Thanks so much for commenting with your changes Joan! :)
Hi, how long does this take to make??
Hi Destinee! It will depend on how experienced you are in the kitchen! But it needs almost an hour to bake and I would say a solid half hour of prep at least before that.
It was a major hit!!! My sons love it!
That’s awesome Alicia!! So glad everyone liked it. Thanks for reviewing!
I made the ziti tonight. Its AMAZING!! I don’t are for italian sausage, but it tasted great anyway. Thesaurus is soo good! My sister follows you and sends out a recipe of yours just about every day my niece and me, but mostly sweets. I’m glad she does. Thanks.
I’m so glad you got to try it out Jennifer! Funny how when you add enough cheese suddenly you don’t hate Italian sausage anymore. Haha! Tell your sister thank you for sharing my recipes. That means so much to me!
Did you use 16 oz block and divide or 8. Thank you
Hi Cielita! Do you mean the mozzarella? You can use whatever size you want, you just need to get to 2 cups total chopped. 8 ounces will not be enough I don’t think? I always buy the biggest blocks of cheese I can find so I’m not sure, haha! Hopefully this is helpful!
This is the first recipe I made from this site. It was delish! Looking forward to exploring more of the eats. Thank you Karen.
You picked a good one to start with Jeanine! So happy to hear you enjoyed it :) Thank you for commenting!
Impossible to print recipe, why dies it have to be do difficult, dam pop ups. I gave up!😕
Hi Belinda! The print recipe is a golden “print” button on the right hand side of the recipe card. Hope this helps!
I made this recipe and is is absolutely delicious!
Hooray!! So happy to hear it Angi! Thanks for reviewing!!
I have held on to this recipe for a long time and I am so glad I did! The ultimate comfort food! So good! I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese and 2 jars of store bought pasta sauce. I hope to do the actual recipe eventually, but it turned out great with my lazy tweaks!
Hey I am all about the lazy tweaks Suzanne, sometimes you just gotta git er done! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and am happy to know it works great with ricotta, I haven’t tried that. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
Sooo delicious! I’m sorry to say, I keep forgetting to post my pictures to instagram! I did post a couple, but I used the wrong hashtag(#foodcharlatan). Besides, we dig into your meals so fast and just devour them! I made this for a friend who just had surgery (not a baby, but close enough – haha) and I tell ya, word is getting around that I can cook! So then I have to fess up and share your food blog. Must say, my best recipes are coming from you…
This was so yummy! I made it for my family for dinner and it lasted for 3 dinners! Good thing it was delicious!
It feeds an army, right?? I’m so glad you loved it Eleni! Thanks for commenting!
Amazing …my first time making this ziti and it won’t be my last…I didn’t have sausage so I used a pound of ground turkey and seasoned it with Italian seasoning and basil….this was so good with my favorite wine..Stella Rosa black or Red!!! Thank you Karen for sharing the love!
I made the post partem ziti and it is amazingly. Thank you for sharing. Actually I have to let you know that I have tried 2 other recipes from you that are the bomb at potlucks and at home
I can’t believe we ate almost all the ziti and we are trying to decide who gets the rest!
Thank you for sharing the love!!!! It’s so nice that
I made your ziti and it was a big hit!!!
Well I am a big fan of your recipes and thank you again!
I’m so happy you are loving the recipes Mary! Ziti forever! Thanks so much for commenting!
I was craving a pasta bake, and found this on Pinterest. Whole family loved it! Including picky grand-dad and my 8 year old daughter. All around pleaser. 7 people finished the whole tray!
Woohoo! I’m so glad the ziti was a hit with everyone Natalie! Thanks for the review!
Have you ever tried making this in a crock pot? I shared the recipe with a friend and she was asking about that. Thanks!
Hi Michelle! I’ve never tried it in the crockpot.
Absolutely positively delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing. My only regret is that I didn’t have the 8×8 pans to be able to split it and freeze it. This is, by far, the best baked ziti I’ve ever eaten, and will be a favorite at our house and what we take when we make a meal for a friend or family member. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m so glad to hear you liked the recipe Michelle!! Thank you!
Thanks for this recipe, Karen! I actually made it a couple of weeks before our first child was due and froze it. We had it for dinner last night and it was wonderful! I enjoyed having something so delicious that I could just pull out of the freezer. It’s very tasty and filling – just what you want postpartum! Looking forward to making this again in the future.
To quote my VERY PICKY family “This is EXCELLENT!” This is the BEST baked ziti I have ever made, and we eat a lot of pasta. I left out the meat and it still turned out amazing!! Highly recommend, this will be a staple in our family!
That is awesome Shannon! I’m so glad your picky family loved it! Good to know it’s still delicious without the meat! Thanks for the review :)
I made this for a Super Bowl party and there was not a noodle left in the pan! Followed the recipe exactly how written! So yummy!
So happy to hear that Lisa! What a great idea to make a big pan of this for the Super Bowl! Thanks for reviewing :)
This ziti is my new fave! My family of 5 killed it the first time I made it. There were no leftovers for work the next day. Making it again tonight and they are already sitting at the table and I still have about 20 mins left on the timer! Thanks for sharing!
Ha, that is awesome Wendy! you know it’s good when people are waiting :) Thanks so much for taking the time to review!
Hi! Is there anyway I could make this night before and put in oven to bake the next day? Or would it get soggy or anything? I’m thinking about doing for Christmas Eve but would love to make everything ahead if possible!
Hi Kendall! I haven’t tried that but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I would undercook your pasta. If it’s going to sit in sauce all night I would probably only cook it like halfway. Let me know how it goes!
Can fresh mozzarella be used?
Hi Barb, I haven’t done it but I know it would be delicious! I’ve used fresh mozz in other casseroles. Enjoy!
Can I use ricotta cheese instead of cottage? Looks amazing!
I haven’t tried it Jill but I’m like 99% sure it will be 100% delicious. Lots of baked ziti recipes use ricotta. Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
Having the word “postpartum” in the title does not make this sound very appetizing 😬 BUT it’s my family’s new favorite ziti recipe. I’ll just print it out (black out the Postpartum 😂), put it in my recipe binder, and throw away the 2 or 3 other ziti recipes I have in there.
Hey Claire! I’m glad you like the recipe, thanks for reviewing!
Hi KAREN,
Just found your blog……..love it!!!
Can you clarify for me the baking instructions for the baked ziti?
I bake both BEFORE and AFTER freezing?
Thanks,
AMY
Hi Naomi! Welcome!! Yes, in the notes section of the recipe you can see how to do it. Bake the casserole as instructed, then cover well, freeze, and bake again to warm it through when you are ready to eat. Enjoy!
I need to try the chunks of cheese. I may do both, shredded and chunked. The cheesier the better! I am just now starting to find stores with ziti. It was the hardest noodle to find! So strange. I can attest to this being an excellent freezer meal. We moved Monday and luckily had a pan of this in the freezer for crazy nights. Last night we were so happy to have non fast food!
Right?? What is it with stores not having ziti?? I feel like Baked Ziti is totally a household name when it comes to casseroles. Definitely try out the chunks of mozzarella, it’s a game changer! I hope the move went well! So excited for you guys!
Can’t wait to try this recipe – cottage cheese instead of ricotta and mozzarella in chunks not shredded! Looks, and sounds, delicious! Thanks, Karen!
Thanks Kris! I hope you love it as much as we do! :)
Oh my gosh, Karen, this was fabulous! My husband kept telling me how good it was throughout the whole meal :) I didn’t tweak any of the ingredients or change the steps in any way. I did find that I had more than my 9×13 glass dish would hold, so I baked it in my metal lasagna pan. Next up – pumpkin dump cake :)
Hey Kris, I’m so glad the ziti was a hit! Yeah it makes a lot, it barely fit into my pyrex dish. I’ll change the recipe so that it says a deep dish is best. Thanks so much for reviewing!! And let me know how the pumpkin dump cake goes!!
Hi Karen, didn’t get to the dump cake yet, but did re-heat the frozen ziti leftovers, and your freezing/reheating directions were perfect! YUM all over again – thanks! Have a nice weekend :)
So happy to hear that Kris! Thank you so much!
love the flashbacks to your past posts and the reminders of some great food I have forgotten about. This is going on my Halloween Movie night menu for next week. Yum!
Good to know some things never change . . . .
Halloween movie night plus postpartum ziti!! Wish I could come! ;)
The baked ziti is amazing! The meat and tomato sauce could stand alone as a delicious pasta sauce too. Yum!
Hey Tamryn, I’m so glad you liked it! I agree, basically every part of this recipe is amazing! Thanks so much for coming back to comment :)
I want to make this for a party, but I know some of my guests do not like cottage cheese. Do you think I could substitute ricotta?
Hey Adrienne, yes, I think that would be a great substitute!
You are hilarious. I’m going to read your posts for comic relief. Seriously. Thanks for being funny. (And also for the yummy recipes, obviously).
Haha! Thanks Katie! I just re read this and now I’m cracking up too. (Everything’s more funny when it’s your own journal, too, right?) Things have not improved for me at the gym in the 6 years since writing this. haha!!
Mine’s in oven now for 1st half! Realized it was 30 more minutes, uncovered. It seems I keep making your recipes, and they are always delicious! Taking before and after pic’s. Thank you!
I’m making this tonight for the second time. The first time I made it I followed the instructions exactly as written and everyone loved it! This time I used higher quality mozzarella and Parmesan and I CAN’T WAIT until it’s ready!
I’m so glad you liked it Amelia! Thanks for leaving a review! I should totally try this with high quality Mozz, mmmm. :) Enjoy!
This was amazing! Tasty, satisfying, and excellent with veg chorizo. I’m so happy that it made enough for two casseroles, as I can now look forward to having it again soon! Thanks for a great recipe.
Ooh veg chorizo! Good tip Melinda. Glad it worked out for you! Thanks for the review!
Hi Karen, it’s me again. OMG this was so good and loved all the cheese. Im not going to lose any weight eating all your food. Give Charlotte big hugs from aunt Joy.
I’m glad you liked it Joy!! Consider Charlotte *hugged.*
oh yes, i have those days when i just can’t wake up – monday, tuesday, wednesday – you get the idea… i worry about the poor kids i teach during first period, they must think i’m part zombie!
i have some of these ingredients on hand since i made that amazing lasagna soup on sunday – i may just cook again this week :)
ooooooo. That looks yummy. I have a ziti recipe that I really like with sour cream and provolone cheese. I should bake both of them some time and compare.
That sounds amazing! You should send it to me! I feel like everyone has their own ziti recipe. There are some really awesome ones out there.
I miss you!! I miss Bryn and Ann too!!
1. You are hilarious.
2. That looks AMAZING and I want some.
3. Charlotte cracks me up. I really like her.
Yes, Charlotte is quite the comedian :)