Crockpot Baked Ziti Recipe - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of ricotta cheese in baked ziti? ›

Cottage cheese: As far as ricotta substitutes go, light and mild cottage cheese is your best bet. In fact, some people prefer to use cottage cheese because it has a similar flavor and fewer calories.

Should I cover Baked Ziti while it's baking? Yes. Cover loosely with foil so it doesn't stick to the cheese, then bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil so the cheese can go bubbly and golden!

well, lasagna noodles! The noodles are stacked in a baking dish with cheese and sauce between each layer. Baked ziti, however, uses ziti noodles that are tossed with sauce and cheese. There's still some layering involved but only a little so it comes together quicker and easier than lasagna.

(You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a rich, soft Italian cheese. It's similar to cream cheese in texture but is made with heavy cream rather than milk. If you're wondering what is ricotta cheese substitute for desserts, mascarpone is a great option.

If you Google authentic Italian lasagna you will find that Italians use béchamel sauce and NOT ricotta in their recipe.

Oftentimes, baked ziti can end up watery if the tomato sauce isn't thick enough. Luckily this recipe calls for the tomato sauce to simmer on the stove along with the ground beef and onion. Doing this will help to get rid of some of the extra water in the sauce.

Ricotta cheese – It creates a creamy layer in the center of the baked ziti. For the best texture, make sure to use whole milk ricotta in this recipe. Garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes – I use these ingredients to season the ricotta.

Add the remaining pasta, then the remaining sauce and then the remaining cheese. Bake until heated through and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.

Baked Ziti is a popular Italian-American dish that is not commonly found in Italy.

Can I use penne instead of ziti for baked ziti? ›

Substitutions for Ziti

Ziti is a pretty common pasta shape in most areas, but you can substitute penne pasta if you can't find it. You want a substantial short pasta shape with places to hold the sauce and meat.

Lasagna without ricotta is a delicious and creamy dish! This recipe uses mozzarella and Parmesan cheese to create a rich and flavorful lasagna that is sure to please everyone at the table.

Since mozzarella is actually made with whey, in terms of relativeness, it may seem like a fitting match for ricotta. However, it is a bit stringier in comparison, so you will need to adjust your ratios accordingly for the substitution to account for the texture.

While ricotta and Parmesan cheese are both delicious Italian cheeses commonly used in various dishes, they have distinct flavors, textures, and melting properties. While you can use them interchangeably in some recipes to some extent, it's important to consider how the final dish might be affected by the substitution.