Gluten-Free Baked Ziti

This Gluten-Free Baked Ziti recipe is the ultimate classic Italian comfort food! Don’t worry; this gluten-free version does not skimp on the bold Italian flavors that you look forward to with a cheesy baked ziti. It can be assembled ahead of time for an easy dinner, holiday gathering, or to feed a crowd at your next party.

The first Italian dinner recipe I made gluten-free was baked ziti! There’s nothing more comforting than a pan of baked pasta layered with creamy ricotta, sauce, and gooey mozzarella! And when I could no longer eat gluten, I immediately went to create the best gluten-free baked ziti recipe! 

And I did! I’ve made this recipe numerous times, and today, I’m going to show you how to make gluten-free baked ziti that has a delicious flavor and fantastic texture. Trust me; everyone loves this recipe! Also check out my gluten free lasagna and vodka cream sauce.

Jump to:

• Reasons you’ll love this recipe
• Ingredients
• Supplies
• How to Make Gluten-Free Baked Ziti
• Cooking Tips
• Storage tips
• Other Gluten Free Italian Recipes
• Gluten-free Baked Ziti
• Did you make this recipe?

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Easy to prepare. After cooking the pasta, stir all ingredients into a casserole dish, cover, and bake. That’s it! It’s one of the easiest Italian recipes to make.
• Amazing flavor. Friends and family have repeatedly said this is the best-tasting baked ziti, and the secret is in the seasoning and sauce!
• Gluten-free Italian comfort food at its finest. When you need baked pasta without gluten, this is your recipe!
• Versatile. Switch up the sauce, add sausage or ground beef, keep it vegetarian, or stir in some veggies. You can quickly put your twist on this ziti recipe.
• Make-ahead and freezer-friendly. It’s easy to assemble this recipe the night you’ll make it, but you can also prepare it the night before or cook it thoroughly to heat it during the week for dinners.

Ingredients

• Gluten-free Ziti, Penne pasta, or Rigatoni. Using the right gluten-free pasta is essential when preparing a baked pasta recipe because It needs to hold up to sitting in the sauce and a longer baking time. I’ve tried many gluten free pastas, and the brand I recommend is Bionaturae Organic Gluten-Free Penne or Rigatoni. In my opinion, this gluten-free pasta has the best flavor and texture. Jovial Gluten-free penne is another good one, but I will select the Bionaturae brand if I choose. 
• Whole-milk Ricotta. Ricotta cheese is naturally gluten-free, but it’s always helpful to purchase high-quality ricotta and check the label to be sure. My favorite brand is BelGioioso which is labeled gluten-free. 
• Egg helps to bind the cheese, so it’s firm after it cooks and doesn’t ooze out of the ziti.
• Seasoning. Ricotta cheese has a very mild flavor and needs seasoning. Over the years, I’ve created the perfect blend of garlic powder, onion powder, homemade Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese to give the ricotta cheese a fantastic flavor.
• Spaghetti sauce. It is always best to use homemade gluten free marinara sauce when making gluten-free baked ziti. This way, you can guarantee a delicious sauce that’s gluten-free. However, if you need something quick, choose a high-quality spaghetti or marinara sauce. My favorite gluten-free sauces are Rao’s marinara, Thrive Market Silician Gravy, and Wegmans Organic Marinara. I’ve used all three in this recipe with success.
• Shredded Mozzarella. I recommend using whole milk mozzarella and shredding it fresh for best results, and this will give you the best ooey gooey flavor. If you use prepackaged shredded cheese, make sure it’s labeled gluten-free.

Supplies

• Mixing bowl
• 9 x 13 casserole or baking dish

How to Make Gluten-Free Baked Ziti

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• As the oven is heating up, cook the gluten-free pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; I use a 5 ½ quart pot. Add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Set your timer if needed because you don’t want to overcook the pasta.
• Drain the pasta and add to the casserole dish; rinsing the pasta isn’t necessary. Set the casserole dish aside.
• Mix the ricotta, egg, seasonings, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the ricotta mixture to the noodles.
• Pour the tomato sauce with the pasta and cheese mixture and stir until combined.

• Top with the mozzarella cheese and then cover tightly with foil.
• Bake for 40 minutes and then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese melts and the sauce is bubbly on the sides. 
• Remove from the oven and serve hot with extra sauce. You can also sprinkle some chopped parsley or fresh basil. Serve with a side of gluten-free garlic bread.

Cooking Tips

• Salting the water infuses flavor into the pasta, making an overall better recipe. I use about 1-2 tablespoons of salt.
• Don’t overcook the pasta, especially when making a baked pasta recipe. Only cook the pasta for 5 minutes, and it should still be very al dente or firm when you drain the water. The pasta will continue to cook in the pasta bake.
• Add Italian sausage or beef to the gluten-free baked ziti. Purchase high-quality meats and cook over medium heat using a large frying pan, breaking them apart as it cooks. Then stir the meat in with the other ingredients and continue with the recipe. I use 1lb of ground meat for this ziti recipe. Or you can cut up and mix in these gluten-free meatballs.
• Bulk up the vegetables. You can stir in spinach, broccoli, peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, or any of your favorite vegetables into a gluten-free ziti. Cook the vegetables first, drain any liquid and then stir in with the other ingredients. It’s essential to remove as much liquid as possible because too much will result in mushy pasta.
• Make this ziti recipe spicier by adding a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the ricotta mixture.
• You can lighten up this ziti recipe by using less ricotta mixture, swapping in part-skim ricotta, and using part-skim mozzarella cheese.
• Keep in mind that most gluten-free pasta recipes come in a 12-ounce box. So, if you want to make this with regular pasta, you’ll need to adjust the sauce, but you can use the same amount of cheese.
• If you want to make this dairy-free then use you’re favorite dairy-free or vegan ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese alternative. You also leave the Parmesan Cheese out or use nutritional yeast instead.

Storage tips

Believe it or not, this gluten-free baked ziti stores great in the refrigerator and freezes making great for meal prep. You can do this in a couple of different ways.

For the week.

• Assemble the ingredients in a baking dish, cover, and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Because the dish will be cold on cooking day, you’ll need to add an extra 10-fifteen minutes of cooking time.
• Cook the gluten-free ziti thoroughly and store leftovers in the fridge for five days. When you’re ready to eat, Place a portion of ziti in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or until hot. 

To freeze

• Assemble the ingredients into a baking dish (disposable if you need to), cover, label, and freeze for up to 3 months. Take it out to thaw 2-3 days ahead of time to thaw in the refrigerator.
• On cooking day, continue with the recipe. The ziti will likely still be cold or even slightly frozen, so you’ll need to add up to 20 minutes of cooking time, maybe longer.

Other Gluten Free Italian Recipes

• Gluten free Alfredo Sauce
• Gluten Free Ragu Alla Bolognese
• Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan
• Gluten Free Risotto

Check out all of my gluten free dinner recipes.

Did you make this recipe?

Have you tried this Gluten-free Baked Ziti recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Thank you.