Gluten Free Baked Ziti

This gluten free baked ziti is pure comfort food. It’s cheesy, saucy, and loaded with Italian sausage. Honestly, it tastes just as good as the traditional version.

Baked ziti is one of those meals that makes everyone happy. It’s simple to throw together, feeds a crowd, and the leftovers are even better the next day.

The best part is that it’s completely gluten free. No one at the table will even notice. It’s that good.

You’ll make a quick ricotta mixture with mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil. Then fold it into the pasta and sauce so you get these amazing creamy pockets throughout the dish.

Everything bakes together until the cheese on top is bubbly and golden brown. It comes out of the oven looking and smelling incredible.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Classic Comfort Food Made Gluten Free – Baked ziti is a timeless comfort dish and this version lets you enjoy it fully without any gluten.

Three Cheeses Make It Irresistible – Ricotta and mozzarella and parmesan together create layers of creamy melty cheesy perfection in every bite.

Those Ricotta Pockets Are Everything – Folding the ricotta mixture in without fully mixing leaves creamy surprise pockets throughout the pasta.

Italian Sausage Adds Serious Flavor – The browned sausage brings a savory depth that turns a simple pasta bake into a hearty satisfying meal.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Gluten Free Ziti or Penne
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 lb Italian Sausage (Gluten Free), Casings Removed
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 jar (24 oz) Marinara Sauce
• 1 cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Large Egg
• 1/4 cup Fresh Basil, Chopped, Plus More For Garnish
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Divided
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese, Divided

How to Make

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the gluten free ziti for 2 minutes less than the package directions so it’s slightly underdone. Drain and set aside.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into crumbles, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until browned and cooked through. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Step 3

Pour in the marinara sauce, stir to combine with the sausage, and remove from heat.

Step 4

In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, basil, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan until well combined.

Step 5

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Dollop the ricotta mixture over the top and use a spoon to gently fold it through the pasta, leaving some pockets of ricotta throughout rather than fully mixing it in.

Step 6

Transfer to a 9×13 baking dish if not already in one. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan evenly over the top.

Step 7

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown on top. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then garnish with fresh basil and serve.

My Tips

Cook the Pasta Less Than You Think

Gluten free pasta goes from perfectly done to mushy really fast. The recipe says 2 minutes less than the package directions, and that’s important because the pasta keeps cooking in the oven for another 25-30 minutes.

If you cook it all the way through before baking, it’ll turn into a soft, mushy mess by the time it comes out of the oven. You want the pasta to still have a firm bite when you drain it – almost too firm to eat on its own.

Also, once you drain it, toss it into the sauce right away. Gluten free pasta gets sticky and clumps together fast when it sits, and the sauce helps keep the pieces separated.

Rinse the Pasta Quickly After Draining

This is one of those things you normally wouldn’t do with regular pasta, but gluten free pasta is different. Give it a quick rinse with warm water right after draining to wash off some of the extra starch on the surface.

Gluten free pasta releases a lot more starch than regular pasta, and that starch makes everything gummy and sticky once it bakes. A fast rinse keeps the texture way better without affecting the flavor.

Just make sure it’s a quick rinse – you don’t want to cool the pasta down completely. Then toss it into the sauce right after.

Don’t Fully Mix In the Ricotta

When you fold the ricotta mixture into the pasta and sauce, stop before it’s fully combined. You want visible pockets and streaks of ricotta throughout the dish, not a uniform pink sauce.

Those ricotta pockets are what make baked ziti so good. When they bake, they get warm and creamy and give you little bursts of cheesy flavor in every bite. If you mix it all the way in, you lose that contrast and the whole thing tastes the same in every bite.

Just dollop it on top and fold it through with a spoon about 5-6 times. That’s plenty.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Classic Beef Lasagna
• Gluten Free Stuffed Shells
• Gluten Free Classic Italian Meatballs
• Gluten Free Eggplant Parmesan
• Gluten Free Crispy Chicken Parmesan

FAQ

Why do I cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions?

Since the pasta goes into the oven and bakes for another 25 to 30 minutes, it keeps cooking in the sauce the whole time. If you cook it all the way first, it’ll turn mushy and fall apart by the time the baked ziti comes out of the oven.

Gluten free pasta is especially prone to getting soft and mushy when overcooked, so undercooking it slightly is really important here. It’ll finish cooking perfectly in the oven and hold its shape much better.