Baked Ziti Cups (Printable Version)

Cheesy, tomato-layered baked ziti in hand-held portions—great for parties or quick dinners.

# What You'll 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 spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Boil ziti pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
04 - Combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil if using, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth.
05 - In a large bowl, toss drained pasta with half of the tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.
06 - Divide half of the pasta mixture evenly into muffin cups. Top each with a spoonful of cheese mixture, then add remaining pasta. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each cup and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
07 - Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand in 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 -
  • Hands-on eating makes everyday dinner feel like a celebration, not a chore.
  • You can make a batch on Sunday and reheat them all week without guilt.
  • Kids will actually eat vegetables wrapped up in cheese and pasta, which frankly feels like winning.
02 -
  • If your ricotta cheese is watery, drain it through cheesecloth for 15 minutes before mixing, or your cups will have puddles instead of layers.
  • Don't skip the cooling time in the muffin tin—those 5 minutes let the pasta and cheese set just enough to lift out without falling apart like they're offended.
  • Toss the pasta gently with the sauce and mozzarella; aggressive mixing breaks the ziti into bits and makes everything mushy.
03 -
  • Use an ice cream scoop to portion the pasta mixture evenly—it makes the process faster and the cups look uniform without trying too hard.
  • If your mozzarella is packed in water, pat it dry with paper towels before shredding so excess moisture doesn't pool in the cups and make them soggy.
  • Don't skip tasting the tomato sauce as it simmers; it should be balanced between sweet and acidic, and you have time to adjust before it goes into the cups.
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