Baked Ziti Cups (Print Version)

Cheesy baked ziti cups layered with tomato sauce in a handheld portion.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 8 ounces ziti or rigatoni pasta

→ Sauce

02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 14 ounces 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:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Boil ziti in salted water until just al dente. Drain and let cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes and then 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 the tomato sauce and half the mozzarella cheese until evenly coated.
06 - Evenly distribute half of the pasta mixture among the muffin cups. Add a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on top, then layer with 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. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before loosening and removing each cup with a knife.
08 - Serve warm, garnished with additional fresh basil if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These are crispy on the edges, creamy in the middle, and somehow feel fancy enough to impress without the fuss of traditional layered baked ziti.
  • They're endlessly portable—perfect for lunchboxes, picnics, or feeding a crowd without dirtying half your dish collection.
  • Made ahead and frozen? They'll sit in your freezer like edible insurance against the what's-for-dinner panic.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling step after boiling the pasta—hot pasta shatters when you try to toss it, and cold pasta tossed with sauce actually absorbs it instead of sliding right off.
  • If your ricotta mixture is too loose, the egg might not be binding it properly—it should hold together when you spoon it, not look like pudding.
  • The mozzarella will brown fast if your oven runs hot, so keep an eye on it in the last few minutes and tent with foil if it's getting too dark.
03 -
  • Use low-moisture mozzarella, not fresh—fresh mozzarella releases water and makes your cups weep.
  • Don't fill the muffin cups all the way to the top; leave about half an inch so the cheese doesn't overflow into the tin and make cleanup a nightmare.
Go Back