Pizza Baked Ziti

Pizza Baked Ziti is one of my favorite, kid-approved weeknight dinners. It’s got all the cheesy, saucy, pepperoni-topped goodness of a classic pizza, but in the form of a baked pasta dish, so it is easy to prep ahead of time.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Calories 536 kcal

Equipment

1 large pot
1 8 x8 baking dish
1 wooden spoon
1 cheese grater
1 kitchen scissors
1 colander

Ingredients

12 oz penne noodles
1½ cup pizza sauce (marinara sauce will work as well)
2 oz pepperoni slices
1½ cup mozzarella freshly shredded
½ tsp Italian seasoning

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F degrees.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta until al dente (usually 6-7 minutes).
While pasta is cooking, shred your mozzarella cheese and use a pair of kitchen scissors to slice pepperoni into strips. Tip: Always grate your own cheese at home when baking it. Pre-shredded cheese in the grocery store has an anticlumping agent added to it to prevent it from sticking together. Unfortunately, it also prevents if from melting well. My favorite tool is this attachment for my stand mixer that grates a whole block in seconds.
Drain pasta, but do not rinse. Return it to to the pot, and over medium heat, use a wooden spoon to stir in 1 1/2 cups pizza sauce and the pepperoni strips. Let simmer for 2-3 mins until the sauce is warmed though. Turn off heat and stir in half of the cheese. It will start to melt a bit from the heat.
Transfer to a 8 x 8 baking dish, and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle 1/2 T of Italian seasoning over the cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F degrees for 10 mins. Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 5 mins or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
Let sit for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Store leftover Ziti in an airtight container(I love these glass ones) in fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Try these other fun pizza toppings mixed in as well...

Italian sausage (brown in large skillet and drain before adding to sauce)

turkey pepperoni

Canadian bacon

chopped red or green pepper

mushrooms

green or black olives

onions

crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick of spice

Looking for more easy pasta bake dinners?

Enchilada Pasta Bake and No Boil Lasagna are easy-to-make, family-friendly dishes that we adore.

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 70gProtein: 24gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 928mgPotassium: 536mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 686IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 2mg

Keyword baked ziti, casserole, kid food, Make Ahead, pizza baked ziti, pizza pasta

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