I love baked pasta dishes because they feed a crowd and are super comforting. I also love that they can be made in advance and frozen for another day. This is my go-to freezer pasta; it comes together quickly, freezes well and can be cooked from frozen, so even on the busiest days I can still have a yummy home-cooked meal.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ziti noodles
- 2 cups freshly grated provolone piccante
- 1 cup freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella
- 1 large egg
- 15 ounces ricotta
- One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- One 32-ounce jar tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch freezer-friendly baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Add the provolone and mozzarella to a bowl and toss evenly to combine. Set aside until ready to assemble. Crack the egg in a bowl and whisk to break up the yolk. Add the ricotta, spinach, basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl with the egg and mix evenly to combine. Set aside.
- Transfer the drained pasta back to the pot and add the reserved pasta water along with the tomato sauce, Calabrian chile paste and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Toss to evenly coat the noodles in the sauce. (The noodles may seem a little liquidy, but this prevents the ziti from becoming dry during baking; they will absorb most of the liquid.)
- Layer half of the pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Top the ricotta with half of the mozzarella/provolone blend. Top the cheese with remaining pasta and dollop the remaining ricotta mixture on top. Top with remaining mozzarella/provolone blend and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- If baking right away: Transfer to the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned in places, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- If freezing: Let the dish cool completely, then cover with a double layer of foil to prevent freezer burn. The ziti can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook from frozen, place the covered ziti in a 350 degree F oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook until bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned in places, an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 575 |
| Total Fat | 27 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 55 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 137 mg |
| Sodium | 1066 mg |
Reviews
Delicious
I made this ziti and froze it-exactly according to the recipe. The ziti was delicious but it took over 2 hours to cook in the oven from frozen-way longer than the recipe stated. At one point I even put a thermometer in my oven to make sure it was heating properly. I’ll make this again but don’t think I’ll freeze it prior to baking again.
I made this baked ziti over the weekend and followed the recipe pretty much exactly. It was amazing and the family loved it! I used 1 cup of the pasta water and that worked well. The Calabrian chili paste added such good flavor to the recipe! I’ll be making it again very soon. Valerie really knows how to cook!
Absolutely delicious! My family loved this dish …. Even the picky eaters! Will definitely make time and time again!!
Made this in two 8X8 pans, froze one for later. Also used 1/2 cup pasta water. Excellent!
On her show Valerie used 1 cup of reserved pasta water. Recipe says 1/2 cup. Which one is correct?
Had to punt without provolone (subbed in a variety of cheeses in my fridge) but this was excellent! I added some browned sausage to the sauce as well. My parents, husband, sons, and their friends all liked it so it’s a good thing I made a double batch!
Wow!! Just made this! Very delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, only difference, I made my own marinara sauce which is easy to do. Just sauté garlic in olive oil, add canned crushed tomatoes, few spices (oregano, basil, salt, sugar). Please try this recipe
Made it for dinner yesterday. I see why this pasta dish is one of Wolfie’s favorites. It’s delicious and so easy to make. My family loved it, and it will be on our weekly dinner rotation.