Baked Ziti Cups (Printable version)

Cheesy tomato and pasta cups baked to perfection with layers of ricotta and mozzarella.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 oz ziti or rigatoni pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
05 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Cheese Mixture

08 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Assembly

13 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - Nonstick cooking spray

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Boil ziti in salted water until just al dente. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - Combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil if using, and salt in a bowl. Mix until smooth.
05 - In a large bowl, toss drained pasta with half of the tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese until evenly coated.
06 - Distribute half of the pasta mixture evenly into muffin cups. Spoon cheese mixture over pasta, then layer remaining pasta on top. Evenly spoon remaining tomato sauce over each cup and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese melts and bubbles. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before loosening and removing each cup with a knife.
08 - Serve warm, garnished with extra fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're actually portable—no sauce dripping onto your lap like regular baked ziti would.
  • Kids will eat these without complaint because they feel like a treat, even though they're just pasta in a new shape.
  • Once you've made them once, you'll keep a batch in the freezer for those nights when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the muffin tin or your carefully stacked cups will crumble when you try to remove them.
  • The pasta should never be fully cooked before going in the oven—it continues cooking as it bakes, so al dente now means perfectly tender later.
  • If your mozzarella isn't getting bubbly, your oven might run cool; give it a few extra minutes and check at the two-minute mark.
03 -
  • Remove these from the muffin tin while they're still warm—they release cleanly when warm but can stick stubbornly once they're completely cool.
  • A small offset spatula or butter knife run around the edges first makes the whole process of lifting them out almost effortless.
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