This oven baked 3-ingredient baked ziti is the kind of simple, cozy dish my grandma leaned on when the house was full and the day had been long. Out on the farm, she believed in recipes you could remember without a card: a good pasta, a hearty tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese, baked until the top turned golden and bubbly. It’s the ultimate 3-ingredient comfort food—thick, rich tomato sauce hugging every piece of pasta, with a browned mozzarella crust that crackles just a little when you tap it with a spoon. I’ve made it for decades now, and every time it comes out of the oven, folks ask, “What did you put in this?” and they never believe how simple it really is.
Serve this baked ziti piping hot straight from the white casserole dish, with a big green salad dressed in something tangy to cut through the richness. Warm garlic bread or buttered dinner rolls are perfect for scooping up the thick tomato sauce that clings to the edges of the pan. A side of steamed green beans or roasted broccoli fits right in with the old-fashioned Midwestern table I grew up with. If you enjoy wine, a simple red like a table merlot pairs nicely, but around here, a tall glass of iced tea or cold milk is just as traditional.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Baked ZitiServings: 6
Ingredients
1 pound (16 ounces) dry ziti pasta
4 cups (about 32 ounces) thick tomato pasta sauce or marinara sauce
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch white casserole dish or similar baking dish and set it aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until just shy of al dente, about 1–2 minutes less than the package directions. The pasta will finish cooking in the oven.
Drain the ziti well, shaking off excess water so it doesn’t water down the sauce.
Return the drained pasta to the warm pot and pour in 3 cups of the thick tomato pasta sauce. Stir gently until all the ziti is well coated and the sauce clings to the noodles.
Spoon half of the sauced ziti into the prepared casserole dish, spreading it into an even layer.
Sprinkle half of the shredded mozzarella cheese (about 1½ cups) evenly over this first layer of pasta.
Add the remaining sauced ziti on top, spreading it out gently. Pour the remaining 1 cup of tomato sauce over the top in a thin, even layer so you still see some pasta peeking through.
Cover the top with the remaining mozzarella, spreading it all the way to the edges so you get that golden, bubbly crust across the entire surface.
Place the casserole dish on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted and starting to turn golden.
If you’d like a deeper golden crust, switch the oven to broil for 1–3 minutes at the end, watching closely so the cheese browns but does not burn.
Remove the baked ziti from the oven and let it rest for 8–10 minutes. This helps the sauce thicken and the pasta set up so it scoops out in nice, hearty servings.
Serve warm, straight from the casserole dish, making sure everyone gets some of the browned mozzarella top and the thick, saucy pasta underneath.
Variations & Tips
To keep the spirit of this 3-ingredient comfort dish, any changes should still feel simple and homey. You can swap the ziti for another short, sturdy pasta like penne or rigatoni if that’s what you have in the pantry. If your tomato sauce is on the thinner side, simmer it on the stovetop for 10–15 minutes before using so it reduces and hugs the pasta better, just like the thick sauces my grandma used to make. For a slightly richer taste while staying within the three ingredients, use part-skim and whole-milk mozzarella mixed together for a nice balance of melt and stretch. If you want a bit of a browned edge like those prized corner pieces, use a slightly smaller, deeper baking dish so the pasta piles up and crisps more along the sides. You can also assemble the dish earlier in the day, cover, and refrigerate; when you’re ready to bake, add 5–10 extra minutes in the oven until it’s hot and bubbly. Leftovers reheat well in a low oven, covered with foil, until warmed through, and the flavors seem to cozy up even more by the next day.
