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! Originally published January 18, 2012.
Table of Contents
- Back to the present
- Why you’ll love this Ziti Recipe
- Ingredients for Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese
- How to make the Best Baked Ziti
- Best Baked Ziti Recipe Tips
- Baked Ziti Recipe variations and substitutions
- How to serve Baked Ziti with Sausage
- How to store this Ziti Recipe
- More casseroles that you are going to love!
- The Best Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese (Postpartum Ziti) Recipe
This post was originally published in 2012. Here’s a flashback:
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.)
Why you’ll love this Ziti Recipe
We’ve all had a lackluster pasta bake before. Not enough sauce, dried out noodles, cries of “where’s the cheese?” (that would be me, crying about a lack of cheese). What was supposed to be an easy, crowd-pleasing dinner languishes in its pan until it gets thrown away. Don’t let this tragedy happen to you! This ziti rights all the wrongs and makes a ton. It’s got plenty of sauce to keep the noodles tender, three kinds of cheese, and fresh basil.
I love taking this meal to new parents because it’s the perfect thing to heat up at 2AM when your baby’s awake and you’re starving. It’s also ideal for kids, picky relatives in town, church potlucks, or ravenous teenagers.
Ingredients for Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese
Here’s a quick list of everything you’ll need to make this baked ziti recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a complete list.
- ziti, or penne/rigatoni if you can’t find ziti
- olive oil
- mild Italian sausage
- garlic
- dried oregano
- dried basil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- tomato sauce
- diced tomatoes
- sugar
- fresh basil
- heavy whipping cream
- cornstarch
- eggs
- cottage cheese
- grated Parmesan cheese
- mozzarella cheese (block, not shredded)
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 in a large pot of salted water. 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 cheese 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 homemade marinara 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.
Add the pasta mixture to a large casserole dish and pour the remaining red sauce on top of the pasta then add even more mozzarella and parmesan. Don’t you love how we don’t have to do all those layers like a lasagna?? So easy.
Bake to perfection!
Best Baked Ziti Recipe Tips
Here’s how to make a perfect baked ziti, every time.
- Don’t overcook your pasta. The ziti noodles will continue cooking as they bake in the oven, so don’t worry if you’ve only cooked it the recommended 5-7 minutes and the noodles seem too firm. We’re not done yet!
- Drizzle your pasta with a little oil. This keeps the pasta from sticking together so it can easily mix with the sauce, cheese, and sausage.
- Drain the fat from your sausage. I know it’s an extra step, but trust me, you don’t want all that fat turning your perfect ziti into a soggy, greasy mess.
- Grease your foil. If you don’t, the melting cheese will stick to the foil and get ripped off the top of the casserole, tragic!!
Baked Ziti Recipe variations and substitutions
I love this easy baked ziti recipe just the way it is but you can totally adapt it to your liking. Here are a few ideas!
- Make it vegetarian. Skip the sausage. No need to substitute anything, although you could do plant based “sausage” crumbles if you want.
- Sub a different cheese. Don’t be afraid to sub some pepper jack for the mozzarella, or plain monterey jack, or any melty cheese you enjoy.
- Use your favorite pasta. If you don’t have ziti (or can’t find it) I recommend trying penne or rigatoni. However, there’s no reason you can’t use any short pasta you have in the pantry (farfalle, for example!).
How to serve Baked Ziti with Sausage
If I’m taking this ziti to someone, I love grabbing a loaf of french bread and a bagged salad at the grocery store on my way over. EASY. Not opposed to doing that for myself either!
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 really want to go all out you can make The Best Garlic Bread of Your Life, which despite being the best ever is actually quite easy to make.
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!!
Here’s a whole post I wrote on how to bring a meal to a friend with so many amazing ideas I sourced from friends and readers to make this whole “take a meal” thing easier (and here’s the sister post with 12 ideas for what to take).
If you’re serving this ziti at home as part of a larger meal, you can definitely make it special with homemade salad or bread. Here are some of my favorites!
Green Goddess Salad << so herby, creamy, and refreshing! Perfect with pasta
Greek Salad with Feta << I love Greek flavors, do you??
Apple Gorgonzola Salad (Buca di Beppo Copycat) << just like the restaurant!
The Best Garlic Bread << this might steal the show from the ziti. It’s THAT good
Garlic Knots << get ready for the oohs and aahs, these are so gorgeous!
Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread << unique, delicious bread in a cast iron pan
How to store this Ziti Recipe
I put the lid right on my Pyrex and stuck this in the fridge. It’s good for 3-4 days, and if you have leftovers (or want to make an entire casserole in advance) you can freeze them. Wrap tightly with tinfoil, then label so you know what’s up later. If you have individual pieces, it’s pretty easy to wrap them in plastic wrap and then put them in a ziplock. Pull one out as needed and reheat in the microwave. The entire casserole can be reheated at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
More casseroles that you are going to love!
Grandma Georgia’s Chicken and Rice Casserole >> pure comfort food straight from my grandma
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 with Cottage Cheese (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 9×13 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 9×13 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.
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!