When I first learned this no-pot trick for making ziti my first thought was, “Where was this dish my whole life?”
“Thank you so much for the meal the other day,” one sister-in-law, who had recently had a baby, told another. The three of us were out to lunch one afternoon.
“Oh, it was nothing. I made the same thing for my own family too,” Batsheva said. And then she went on to describe just how easy it really was for her to make the ziti.
When I heard what Batsheva had to say, my jaw dropped.
“Oh, I just add the ziti to a 9 x 13. Then I pour in the sauce, pour in the water, make sure the pasta is in an even layer and it’s nice and covered, then add the cheese, a lot of cheese, and cover and bake for a long time, maybe 90 minutes.”
Do you know what I thought of when I heard this?
You.
Sure, ziti is easy enough, but no pot ziti is even better. Way better.
Add the pasta in an even layer to a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Add salt
and sauce. Fill the jar with water
(either ¾ to completely full) and add to the pan.
Add most of the cheese and mix to combine.
Add more cheese on top (or mix all of it in).
Leave the house and come home to a hot fresh dish!
No Pot Creamy Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 9 x 13-inch pan
- 1 lb penne pasta (raw)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 (26 ounce) jar pasta sauce
- ¾ – 1 (26 ounce) jar water (use the empty pasta sauce jar)
- 12 oz (about 1 ½ cups) cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add the pasta in an even layer to a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
- Add salt and sauce. Fill the jar with water (either ¾ to completely full) and add to the pan.
- Add most of the cheese and mix to combine. Add more cheese on top (or mix all of it in). Cover and bake (leave the house and come home to a hot fresh dish!) for 90 minutes.
- If you like it crisp, uncover and bake a little longer to let the top brown and bubble and noodles crisp up a bit.
Notes
Here’s some pointers when preparing this no-pot creamy ziti:
*I used penne because I like the thinner noodle, but you can try it with actual ziti too.
*If you like your ziti soft, you can just mix in all the cheese, you don’t need to leave some on top. If you like it crispy, leave some on top, because then you can just crisp up the ziti by cooking it a little longer uncovered.
*We made this with both ¾ – 1 full jar of water. If you and your kids love a creamy ziti, a full jar is fine. If you prefer a firmer noodle, go with the smaller amount. Just make sure all the pasta is covered before baking.
Disclaimer: While 9×13 pans are a great convenient option, all of the recipes featured in this series can also be made in a non-disposable (i.e. glass, ceramic, or metal) baking pan (cooking/baking times may be a little shorter).
Genius. Enough said!
Thank you for sharing
Thank you for another amazing recipe! We really enjoyed this. And no cleaning involved!
Try half water half milk! Even creamier!
Great idea!
Tried it today. Kids and adults loved it. My new go-to recipe when serving dairy. Wish i had lectovers to send pictures
Brilliant! I think I’ll make it using either spelt or brown rice pasta. Thank you!
I do this with brown rice pasta it’s perfect
Just made this tonight – and I added a few frozen basil cubes and some Parmesan. I would have posted on my Instagram stories but there was NONE LEFT.
Works great with GF pasta,
I used Ronzoni with a little less liquid and only 1 hour bake time.
Better than precooked pasta!
Using the jar for water might be a problem – it isn’t toiveled
Ask your LOR. I have asked mine and he said it does not need to be toiveled- even if reused indefinitely.
This is really good! Some of my family doesn’t like tomato sauce. Any ideas of how to make this without it? more like mac and cheese using this method?
Yes! I did it last week when I realized I was out of marinara, and it came out really good! I would make it again.
In the pan, mix raw pasta with lots of American cheese, shredded cheese of choice, and pour in milk until just covering the level of the pasta. Season with salt, garlic powder, and pepper or as desired. Cover and bake with the same method.
You can sub part water for some of the milk.
love this idea!!
Does this work with whole wheat?
Thanks!
Made this using brown rice quinoa pasta from trader joes and it worked perfectly! Used a full jar of water. Was delicious and a drop healthier too 🙂
Has anyone tried making this in advance and freezing it? What is best way to reheat?
Did anyone ever try adding cottage cheese in it?
Did you do it? I came looking for the same idea!
Easy and delicous, plus enjoyed by all!
Made this a few times and it’s way better then the way I used to make it!!
Can this be frozen raw?
Does this recipe work well with macaroni?
Sure, totally fine. Might cook a bit quicker.
This recipe is the best I made it over and over and over and over.
Yay! Enjoy!