This 5-ingredient oven ziti is the kind of cozy, no-fuss dinner that saves busy weeknights. You literally dump dry ziti into a glass casserole dish, pour over a rich, pantry-staple sauce, and let the oven do the work. No boiling pasta, no fancy steps—just a bubbling, cheesy baked pasta that tastes like it simmered all afternoon. It’s the kind of dish that quietly shows up at potlucks, church gatherings, and neighbor drop-offs all over the Midwest, then disappears because everyone goes back for seconds.
Serve this oven ziti straight from the glass casserole dish with a simple green salad (bagged salad is just fine) and some garlic bread or buttered toast for dipping into the sauce. A side of steamed or roasted vegetables—like broccoli, green beans, or carrots—rounds out the plate nicely. If you’re feeding a crowd, set the dish in the middle of the table family-style with a small bowl of extra grated Parmesan or Italian seasoning so everyone can dress up their own serving.
5-Ingredient Oven ZitiServings: 6
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked ziti pasta
1 (24–26 ounce) jar pasta sauce (marinara or your favorite red sauce)
3 cups water
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a 9x13-inch glass casserole dish; there’s no need to grease it.
Pour the uncooked ziti pasta evenly into the bottom of the glass casserole dish, spreading it out so it’s in a mostly even layer. This is your base—no boiling needed.
In a large bowl or directly in a large measuring cup, whisk together the pasta sauce, water, and salt until the mixture looks like a loose, amber-red liquid. It should be pourable and a bit thinner than regular jarred sauce so the dry pasta can absorb it as it bakes.
Slowly pour the sauce mixture all over the uncooked ziti in the glass dish, making sure to cover the pasta as evenly as you can. Gently press down any pieces of pasta that are sticking way up so most of the ziti is submerged in the liquid. A few pieces peeking out are fine.
Cover the dish tightly with foil, making sure to crimp the edges so steam doesn’t escape. This helps the pasta cook evenly in the sauce.
Bake the covered dish on the middle rack for 35–40 minutes, until the pasta is mostly tender when you poke a piece with a fork and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
Carefully remove the foil (watch for hot steam). Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top of the pasta. If the pasta looks a little dry on top, gently stir just the top layer to pull some saucy pasta up before adding the cheese.
Return the uncovered dish to the oven and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to turn golden in spots.
Let the ziti rest on the counter for 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken up a bit so it’s easier to scoop and keeps the cheese from sliding right off. Serve warm straight from the glass casserole dish.
Variations & Tips
For a heartier version, you can stir in up to 1 cup of cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, or shredded rotisserie chicken with the dry pasta before pouring on the sauce mixture—just keep in mind this technically adds another ingredient. If your family likes extra-cheesy pasta, add 1/2–1 cup more mozzarella or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan on top during the last bake. For picky eaters, stick with a very smooth marinara and skip any chunky sauces; you can also tuck a light layer of cheese in the middle by sprinkling 1/2 cup mozzarella over the pasta before pouring on all the liquid. To sneak in some veggies, stir in a cup of frozen spinach or peas with the dry pasta, or serve with a veggie tray and ranch on the side. If the top of the pasta ever looks too dry before adding cheese, stir in 1/4–1/2 cup hot water right in the dish and cover it with foil for another 5–10 minutes before finishing. Food safety tips: Use a glass casserole dish that’s oven-safe and not cold from the fridge to prevent cracking when it hits a hot oven. Make sure the pasta and sauce mixture is bubbling hot in the center (at least 165°F/74°C) before serving; if you’re unsure, bake a little longer under foil. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, store tightly covered, and reheat thoroughly in the oven or microwave until steaming hot before eating.
