Baked Ziti Cups Delight (Printable)

Cheesy, tomato-layered ziti cups in a crispy, hand-held format ideal for quick meals or parties.

# What You 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

# Directions:

01 - Set the oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook ziti pasta until just al dente. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Sauté minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil if using, and salt. Stir until smooth and well blended.
05 - In a large bowl, toss drained pasta with half of the tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese until evenly coated.
06 - Distribute half of the pasta mixture evenly into the muffin cups. Top each with a spoonful of the ricotta mixture, then layer the remaining pasta on top. Spoon the rest of the tomato sauce over each cup and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
07 - Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before carefully loosening and lifting each cup with a knife.
08 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're hand-held Italian comfort food that doesn't require a fork or plate, making them perfect for casual gatherings.
  • Baked entirely in a muffin tin, they're portion-controlled and ready to reheat or even freeze for busy weeks.
  • Crispy cheese edges meet creamy ricotta centers, giving you textural contrast in every bite.
02 -
  • Don't skip the cooling time before removing—pulling them out while piping hot will cause them to crumble, and rushing this step ruins all your careful layering.
  • Use a nonstick muffin tin or spray aggressively; these cups stick surprisingly easily despite nonstick spray, so erring on the side of more spray saves frustration.
  • Al dente pasta is your friend here since it finishes cooking in the oven and won't turn to mush by the time the cheese browns.
03 -
  • If your mozzarella isn't melting evenly, it might be too cold—let it sit out for a few minutes before using so it browns more beautifully.
  • The ricotta mixture should be thick enough to spoon, not pourable; if it seems too loose, you may have used wet ricotta, which happens sometimes and just means the cups will be softer (still delicious, though).
Go Back