You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this quick and easy Dump-and-Bake 3-Cheese Baked Ziti! Just stir all of the uncooked ingredients together in the dish, cover it with foil, and pop it in the oven. Weeknight dinners just got a whole lot easier!
I’m raising a family of pasta lovers! I swear, my husband and my 3 boys could eat some variety of spaghetti, pesto rotelle, or fettuccini Alfredo every single night of the week. But you know what? Baked Ziti has never been on my go-to list…until now.
I just always assumed that Baked Ziti was kind of like lasagna — a lot of prep work, multiple steps involved, and a ton of dirty dishes at the end. WRONG!
At least, not with my dump-and-bake version!
When I decided that I wanted to create a quick-prep twist on the classic 3-Cheese Baked Ziti, I knew that I was stepping out of my comfort zone.
I wasn’t sure how the cheese mixture would set up in the oven as the pasta baked in the marinara sauce, and I was fully prepared to trash the final product and try again if it wasn’t an initial success.
Easy Dump and Bake Dinners
I’m happy to report, however, that I have apparently become a Dump-and-Bake Dinner Pro. Is that a “thing?” Because if it’s a “thing,” then I’m definitely one of them.
I just can’t get enough of these ultra-easy meals that cook in one dish without any pre-boiling the pasta, washing pots and pans, or slaving over a hot stove. You might just call me lazy? Or busy? Yes and yes!
This hearty, soul-satisfying vegetarian one-dish meal comes together in a matter of minutes and my job is done! It’s delicious served with a green salad and some garlic bread if you have the time or desire, but it’s certainly not necessary.
This Dump-and-Bake 3-Cheese Baked Ziti is a new way to prepare an old favorite — and there’s no going back to the original once you’ve had a taste!
Cooking Just for Two?
You can cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare one smaller casserole. Just bake in an 8-inch square pan. The cooking instructions remain the same.
Extra Tips For Making Baked Ziti
- Don’t have mozzarella? Use cheddar instead or another good melting cheese
- Try adding red pepper flakes for a spicy kick
- Store this baked ziti in the fridge for a few days it makes great leftovers
- Feel free to add extra fresh or dried herbs such as basil or parsley
- You could also try adding cooked sausage, chicken or bacon
More Pasta Recipes You Might Like;
- Taco Pasta Casserole
- Garlic and Herb Shrimp Pasta
- B.L.T Pasta Salad
- Ravioli lasagna with ricotta and spinach
- Baked Ziti with Sausage
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Dump-and-Bake 3-Cheese Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (2 cups) small curd cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked ziti pasta
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Spray a deep 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, ¼ teaspoon of salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
- Spread about half of the uncooked pasta in the bottom of the prepared dish. Pour about half of the sauce mixture over top.
- Dollop the cottage cheese mixture over the pasta.
- Top with another layer of the remaining uncooked pasta and the remaining sauce mixture.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
- Uncover. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking; it doesn't need to be completely done yet). If it’s still really hard, cover the dish and return it to the oven until the pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and bake uncovered until the cheese melts and the pasta is tender, about 5-10 more minutes.
Loved the ziti. My first attempt turned out the best I’ve ever ate. Simple to make. I did add half a pound of Italian sausage (cooked and drained) in the sauce and pasta
Thanks, Sandra! I’m so glad that it worked well for you. The Italian sausage is a perfect addition!
Very good but a couple of suggestions –
– Use ricotta instead of cottage cheese
– Use a second jar of sauce instead of water, for more flavor
– No need to mix the uncooked ziti with the sauce/water. Easier to add the ziti and pour half the sauce over them.
– Mix half the mozzarella with the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture
I am going to try the recipe Sunday. Since I am an WW I always have fat free shredded cheeses on hand for cauliflower pizza. Is it ok to use that or should I pick up full fat? My cottage cheese and ricotta are FF too
Hi, Barbara! If you don’t mind the taste/texture of the fat-free versions, they will work fine in this dish. Enjoy!
Thank you for a tasty, laborless recipe! I like Italian dishes to be very tomatoy so I added a generous tablespoon of tomato paste to the water. I also added an envelope of dry onion soup to the water. Otherwise, cooked as directed and it was fantastic! Thanks again for your yummy and quick recipes. I tend to put off cooking until I am starving, then just make a sandwich or something. With your “dump” recipes I will quickly put them together and let the oven do the rest. You are a cooking phenom!
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that you’ve found the easy recipes helpful and tasty. Thanks for taking the time to leave such a nice note, Doris!
This had nice flavor and was super easy to prepare. Followed recipe using whole wheat pasta and added some vegetarian crumbles to the sauce. Mine came out a bit on the dry side – easily remedied with ladling sauce over each serving; but, I would definitely add more sauce or water to the original mix next time.
Are there any adjustments I need to make if I double this recipe? Need to cook for about 15 people. Thank you!
Hi, Sierra! No, you shouldn’t need to adjust anything. Just double all of the ingredients and bake in two separate dishes or one HUGE dish. If you bake it all in one huge dish, you might need to increase the baking time slightly, but I’d just check it and see. Enjoy!
I only had spaghetti so I broke it in three pieces. Didn’t quite have the body but was not dry. I added one shallot and it was delicious
Thanks, Linda! I’m glad that it worked okay with the spaghetti, too!
Way too watery.. cottage cheese was chunky. I threw it away
We’re sorry this didn’t turn out well for you, Sidney. We recommend using small curd cottage cheese, if you didn’t and measuring very carefully. We hope you give this or another one of our dump-and-bake recipes a shot.
Thank you for this recipe! I have five kids and it’s hard to find a meal they all agree on. This is one of them. I’ve made it a few times now and they still love it. I usually use 24oz of cottage since that’s the container I find. I sometimes use meat sauce instead of marinara. That really depends on what I have on hand. They love it either way!
That’s wonderful, Christopher. I’m so glad that the kids approve! 🙂
You are brilliant in creating tasty, nutritious meals with very little time and steps. Thank you sooo much. And please keep posting.
Thank you for such kind words, Renee! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipes and appreciate you taking the time to leave a review.
can this be frozen and looked at a later date?
Hi Heather!
We don’t recommend freezing this recipe, but it will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a few days.
The ziti, If I divide it in separate disposable foil; pans should I cook it before freezing?
Delicious
Thanks, Darlene!