BAKED ZITI NEAPOLITAN STYLE, a simple and tasty pasta dish perfect for celebrations, ancient recipe with tiny meatballs typical for weddings or Christmas.
A traditional Neapolitan recipe that smells like home, of slowly cooked sauce and those fried meatballs that make everything irresistible. Baked ziti are never missing at family lunches, old-time weddings, and tables set for Easter, Ferragosto, or Christmas.
This dish is a true symbol of Campanian cuisine: an ancient recipe, passed down from generation to generation. The Neapolitan baked ziti with meatballs represent the essence of conviviality.
In Naples, every family has its own version: some add hard-boiled eggs, mozzarella, and salami, while others stick to the classic recipe with ragù, mozzarella, and grated cheese. I chose the most traditional version, the one with small, crispy meatballs that dive into the sauce, making every bite more flavorful.
The ziti themselves are a particular type of pasta: long, smooth, and hollow, meant to be broken by hand before cooking—a simple gesture full of meaning. It’s no coincidence that the name derives from the term “ziti,” meaning “bride and groom,” because they were the dish of Neapolitan weddings, a symbol of union and family. Today, they have become the ultimate celebration dish, loved by all and always present when you want to bring a bit of tradition to the table.
The Neapolitan baked ziti are stringy and very fragrant, with a crispy gratin on the surface that makes you hungry just looking at it. They can be prepared in advance and baked at the last moment: perfect when you have guests or want to impress without stress.
Join me in the kitchen today as we make Neapolitan baked ziti.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz mixed ground meat
- 7 oz sausage (optional)
- 10.5 oz ziti
- 9 oz mozzarella (or provola)
- 3.5 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- 3.5 oz Pecorino cheese
- 1 onion
- 1 glass red wine
Steps
For the recipe, I preferred to prepare meatballs and eliminated the sausage; of course, a classic ragù works well, and you need 2 bottles of tomato purée.
Then, prepare the meatballs with one egg, salt, pepper, bread crumb, and a bit of grated bread, making the meatballs rather small.
Sauté the chopped onion with a drizzle of oil.
Add the meatballs or ground meat and the crumbled sausage, brown well.
Deglaze with red wine and let it evaporate.
Add the tomato purée, adjust with salt and pepper, and cook on low heat for at least 1 hour (better 2), until thick and flavorful. Add fresh basil at the end of cooking.
Break the ziti by hand into pieces about 3 inches long.
Cook them in plenty of salted water, draining them al dente (2-3 minutes less than the indicated times).
Dress the pasta with a part of the ragù.
In an oiled baking dish, make a first layer of pasta, add cubed mozzarella, spoonfuls of ricotta (if using), plenty of ragù, and a sprinkle of Parmesan and Pecorino.
Repeat the layers until you use up the ingredients.
Cover the last layer with ragù and lots of grated cheese.
Bake at 356°F for about 30-40 minutes, until a golden and crispy crust forms.
Let rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving: this way it will firm up, and the flavors will blend better.
Bon appetit
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BAKED ZITI NEAPOLITAN STYLE
The baked version originates as an evolution of the Neapolitan ragù, the slow and deep sauce that cooks for hours and is almost a religion in Naples.
In the post-war era, when kitchens started having ovens, the custom of baking the pasta with mozzarella, salami, and meatballs was born: a way to use leftover sauce and turn it into a sumptuous dish, capable of feeding many people.
The fried meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, salami, and ricotta represent wealth and abundance: ingredients that could once only be afforded on special occasions.
In Campania, the tray of baked ziti is not just a dish: it is a collective ritual.
Every family has its variant: some use fior di latte and some provola, some add eggs and some do not, some add peas or eggplants.
But the essence remains the same: a dish that brings people together, made to be shared at the table, accompanied by red wine and lots of laughter.
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FAQ BAKED ZITI NEAPOLITAN STYLE
How are Neapolitan baked ziti served?
Hot and fresh from the oven, but they are delicious even warm, ideal for festive meals.
Can I prepare them in advance?
Yes! You can assemble them the day before and bake them at the last minute: the sauce and pasta will get even more flavorful.
Can they be frozen?
Absolutely, just divide them into portions and reheat in the oven. They remain perfect!
What type of pasta to use if I don’t have ziti?
You can substitute them with mezzani or broken candele: the important thing is that they are smooth and hollow so they can hold the sauce well.
