Guide Note

Baked Ziti is an Italian casserole made with penne pasta, sauce, and topped with grated cheese, usually mozzarella or parmesan.

The dish can be made in a vegetarian style or with meat. Popular meats to include are sausage and shrimp. It is beneficial to grill the meat thoroughly before baking the ziti dish to ensure it gets fully cooked.

Fast Facts

1. In Italian, ziti means "bridegrooms"
2. Original ziti noodles were 18 inches long
3. Pasta should be cooked until "al dente," to avoid the noodles becoming weak and stringy in the oven

The tomato sauce is the greatest opportunity to be creative with baked ziti. Bon Appetit recommends making the sauce with fresh tomatoes, pancetta, Italian sausage and braised pork shoulder. Creamier varieties are also common, including Emeril Lagasse's ziti, which includes mornay sauce and fennel.

Baked ziti can also be a very simple dish. Kraft Foods' baked ziti only has five ingredients: Ziti, Marinara Sauce with Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Whatever the ingredients, the cooked pasta can usually be easily mixed with the cheeses and vegetables and baked for 30-45 minutes.