Description
Comforting ziti masterpiece blends Italian-American pasta perfection with rich, melted cheeses and hearty marinara sauce. Savory layers promise a crowd-pleasing dinner you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 4 cups ziti pasta, uncooked (about 454 grams)
- 1 26-ounce (737 grams) jar marinara sauce
- 1 14.5-ounce (411 grams) can diced tomatoes, undrained
Cheese Ingredients:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) Philadelphia cream cheese, cubed
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) Breakstone’s or Knudsen sour cream
- 1 8-ounce (227 grams) package Kraft shredded mozzarella cheese with a touch of Philadelphia
Seasoning Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup (30 grams) Kraft grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F (190C), ensuring the temperature is precise for optimal baking results.
- Boil water in a large pot and cook ziti according to package instructions. Drain pasta completely, reserving the pot for sauce preparation.
- Return pot to medium heat and combine marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and cream cheese. Stir continuously until cream cheese melts and sauce becomes smooth, approximately 5 minutes.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce, thoroughly coating each piece to create a uniform, creamy mixture.
- Transfer half the pasta mixture into a 13×9-inch baking dish. Distribute sour cream dollops evenly across the first layer, then sprinkle one cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the first layer with remaining pasta mixture, ensuring complete coverage.
- Top the casserole with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, creating a generous cheese layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes until cheese melts completely and turns golden brown. Allow 2-3 minutes of resting time before serving to let flavors settle and prevent burning.
Notes
- Customize the pasta type by using gluten-free ziti for a celiac-friendly version.
- Add roasted vegetables like zucchini or spinach for extra nutrition and flavor boost.
- Prep ahead by assembling the dish early and refrigerating until ready to bake, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg