Baked ziti — ziti pasta (or penne, rigatoni, or any tubular pasta) tossed with ricotta, marinara sauce, and mozzarella, then baked until the cheese is melted and the top is golden and bubbling — is the Italian-American casserole that serves the same communal function as the Midwestern hot dish (AM4-01): it feeds a crowd from a single pan, it travels well, it reheats perfectly, and it appears at every funeral, every potluck, and every "I didn't know what to bring" gathering. The technique is Italian (*pasta al forno* — baked pasta), but the specifically Italian-American version is richer, cheesier, and more generous than its Italian ancestor.
Ziti or penne, cooked to just under al dente, tossed with ricotta (full-fat), marinara sauce, and Italian sausage (optional but common). Poured into a 9×13 baking dish, topped with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan. Baked at 190°C for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted, golden-brown in spots, and the sauce is bubbling at the edges. The pasta should be tender, the ricotta should create creamy pockets throughout, and the mozzarella should pull in strings when served.
1) Cook the pasta to JUST under al dente — it continues cooking in the oven. Fully cooked pasta becomes mushy after baking. 2) The ricotta is stirred in, not layered on top — it should create pockets of creaminess distributed throughout, not a distinct layer. 3) The mozzarella goes on TOP — it melts into a golden, stretchy lid. 4) Do not overbake — the cheese should be melted and beginning to brown, not dried and rubbery.
Baked ziti with Italian sausage (browned, crumbled, stirred in) is the best version. The sausage's fennel, garlic, and pork fat elevate the dish from simple baked pasta to something worth arguing about. The 9×13 pan of baked ziti is the Italian-American equivalent of the casserole — the food you bring when someone needs feeding.
Arthur Schwartz — Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food