Calabrian Chili Baked Ziti

40 Minutes

This three-cheese baked ziti is the comfort food recipe you need on a rainy day (literal or metaphorical!). With a golden brown panko crust and a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, this classic Italian dish will take you less than an hour to make – and even less to devour.

Baked Ziti is a classic baked pasta dish and Italian-American comfort food that is perfect to pull out between seasons.

I especially love to whip out this quick, easy recipe on days when the weather is chilly or even gloomy and rainy. Nothing gives you a pick-me-up quite like carbs and cheese – yum!

Baked ziti is quite similar to lasagna, but it doesn’t require precise layering or the mess of broken noodles (although I do have an easy Vegetarian Lasagna recipe if you’re a fan). 

Typically, the dish is made with a red sauce, some kind of cheese (or cheeses), and ziti pasta. Then, of course, the dish is baked and served to get the perfect blend of warm, gooey, and golden brown.

In my Cheesy Baked Ziti recipe, I’m using a mix of cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan, but feel free to use a blend of your choice if you’d like. I’m also topping this dish with panko bread crumbs before baking to add some texture and crunch to the final product.

While ziti is a pretty common pasta shape and the namesake of this dish, I promise the world will keep spinning if you use a different shape. Penne is the best substitute for ziti if you’re in a pinch, but almost any short pasta shape will work for this classic pasta recipe.

And if you’re still not convinced, that’s okay. I have plenty of other pasta recipes that you can use your other shapes for:

• Cajun Alfredo Pasta
• Carbone Spicy Rigatoni Vodka
• Roasted Garlic Broccoli Alfredo
• Creamy Pesto Rigatoni

My Number One Baking Hack that Will Change Your Life

With a baked pasta dish like this, transferring your ziti back and forth between the stove, your oven, and a serving plate will be a massive headache. My best tip for mess-free baking is to use Rubbermaid DuraLite™ Bakeware. 

From baking to serving, storing, freezing and reheating, Rubbermaid’s modern, elegantly designed bakeware is the kitchen upgrade you need to have. Not only is it easy and convenient to use, but it also adds a beautiful touch to your table. 

I love that the bakeware goes seamlessly from oven to table, with the modern, elegant style of the dish. I don’t have to worry about losing the perfect panko crust top on the baked ziti when I transfer it from the baking dish, because I never have to transfer it!

The best part about Rubbermaid’s DuraLite™ Bakeware is that it is microwave, freezer and dishwasher safe, so if you decide to store your baked ziti in the refrigerator or freezer as leftovers or as a made-in-advance meal, you won’t have to worry about taking the food out of the dish. 

Four Cheese Baked Ziti

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Sweta Patel
• Total Time: 40
• Yield: 6 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

This three-cheese baked ziti is the comfort food recipe you need on a rainy day (literal or metaphorical!). With a golden brown panko crust and a blend of cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese, this classic Italian dish will take you less than an hour to make – and even less to devour.

 

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Ingredients

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Ingredients

• 1lb ziti boiled, rinsed
• 1 onion – diced 
• 4 cloves garlic – minced 
• 1 tbsp Calabrian chili paste 
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 5 cups Marinara sauce of choice 
• 2–3 tbsp heavy whipping cream or cream cheese.
• 1 – 12oz ricotta cheese
• 1 egg 
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 cups yellow cheddar cheese
• 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1.  In a sauce pan, heat up oil and cook the onions and garlic on med/high heat for 3-5 mins. Next add the Calabrian chili paste, 2 tsp Italian seasoning and stir combine. Add marinara sauce of choice and simmer for 5 mins. 
2. Add the heavy whipping cream into the sauce and turn off heat, stir in the cooked pasta and set aside. 
3.  In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese along with egg, salt + pepper and all the cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese)
4. In a baking pan, transfer half of the pasta, next add dollops of ricotta cheese mixture. Add the remaining pasta on top, followed by another layer of ricotta cheese mixture. Sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and bake at 350°F for 15-20 mins. Enjoy! 

 

• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Baked Ziti, Pasta, Easy Dinner, Olive Garden ziti